A Lost Flame, A Falling Star
by artistofthemind
Summary: The war with the empire of Alvarez has just finished and Fairy Tail emerged triumphant once more. But the price that the kingdom of Fiore payed was great. The last eighteen survivors of the seven major guilds band together and work to keep the world safe while dealing with their own issues. Warning: major character loss
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I'm starting a new story despite not having finished my others, but I've been working on this a bit at a time for a while and decided that I'd finally start to publish it as it comes. I apologize in advance for any heartbreak I may cause and errors that are in my writing. Please have patience with me, I'm not very good at grammar.**

 **All rights to Hiro Mashima.**

 **Chapter One: Oath**

Lucy stared at the sky, tears pooling in the corners of her eyes. She turned her head to glance at the empty spot beside her. In mind's eye a boy with pink hair and a white, scaly scarf glanced over at her and an infectious grin spread across his face as he turned back towards the setting sun. Lucy followed the imaginary boy's eyes and looked back at the sunset. It had become a brilliant scarlet colour. The same colour as the flaming hair of a girl missing from her spot behind Lucy.

On a whim Lucy turned to look behind her. There stood the girl forever clad in armour with flaming scarlet hair. The girl looked down at Lucy and her stoic features softened slightly as a slow, steady smile spread across her face. Lucy turned back to the sunset.

The chill in the twilight air brought Lucy's attention to a third empty space on her other side. When she looked, a shirtless boy with a sword necklace stood there, but only in memory. He looked at her with a warm smile that contrasted with the ice coating his heart and his frozen features melted slightly.

The final blank space filled itself when Lucy felt the wind stir her hair. A blue cat landed on her shoulder and wrapped his tail around her neck. White wings popped out of existence as the cat snuggled into the junction of her shoulder and neck. Lucy tilted her head so that her cheek rested on the soft blue fur of his coat. A deep pur emanated from the cat's throat and vibrated through Lucy's head right to her soul. When it faded, the cat, two boys, and girl were all gone and Lucy stood alone once more.

It was inevitable. She knew this and yet, Lucy couldn't help but wish things had turned out differently. Lucy knew she should have been the one to die. The one to disappear instead of them. Instead of her team. Her family. Her loved ones. Instead they had all died in hopes that Lucy might live. And Lucy would live.

She had held Natsu as he passed on, comforted Gray as the world faded from his view, and lent Erza enough magic to re-equip one final time to the clothes she wanted to die in and destroy the last enemy that stood before her, her mother. A first and final Unison Raid with her older sister. It had been hard help her family move from this world to the next, but necessary. Lucy had assisted many more people to the heavens over the week. Juvia and Jellal had passed on comforted by Lucy's words, as well as Sorano, Richard, Sawyer, Sho, Wally, Millianna, Wakaba, Macao, Laxus, Bickslow, Evergreen, Elfman, Mira, Gildarts, Makarov, Alzack, Bob, Porlyusica, Vijeeter, Nab, Jet, Droy, Max, Reedus, Warren, Levy, Kinana, Bisca, Asuka, Laki, Risley, Minerva, Yukino, Beth, Arana, Sting, Orga, Rufus, Lector, Dobengal, Eve, Hibiki, Ren, Ichiya, Bacchus, Chelia, Yuka, Toby, Sherri, and Jenny.

Lucy wasn't sure she'd ever forget all those who had died that she knew. Lucy could no longer separate in her mind the people who had been a part of Fairy Tail and those who had not because all had helped her live. In her mind that made them part of her family and her family was Fairy Tail. She was thankful that some of her family were still living. Lucy was thankful that she still had a reason to live and a reason to create more reasons to live. Wendy was still alive. So were Freed, Romeo, Lisanna, Carla, Gajeel, Panther Lily, Mest, Cana, Meredy, Kagura, Rogue, Macbeth, Erik, Frosch, and Lyon. As Lucy stared at the sunset she could no longer suppress the tears that had been building in her eyes. Lucy blinked once and the dam fell away, letting her tears to flow freely.

Lucy reached up with a gauntleted hand to pull a warm, scaly white scarf over her mouth. She grasped a sword necklace that rested on her chest with the same hand and brushed the other precious objects she carried with the other hand. Lucy wasn't the only one with mementos from people who had given their lives in the war against Zeref and his demons. Lisanna had some, as did Meredy and Wendy. Lyon had gained Gray's Ice Devil Slaying magic, and Rogue, Sting's White Dragon Slaying magic. Wendy had also been granted Chelia's Sky God Slaying magic. For some inexplicable reason, Romeo had gotten Orga's Lightning God Slayer powers as well as Natsu's Fire Lightning Dragon Slayer powers. Lucy herself had gained some pretty cool new powers as well as Yukino's keys and the keys Sorano had collected in hopes of gifting to her younger sister. They hadn't figured out how the magic had been passed on, but it had.

Lucy wasn't sure how long she stood at the top of that hill, staring into the setting sun and even after the sun had set. She only came back to herself when even the too large coat draped over her shoulders that had formerly belonged to Laxus Dreyar, could not keep out the chill of the night air. Lucy turned on her heel and headed back towards town and Fairy Hills, where all the survivors were currently living while they figured out what they wanted to do now.

As she walked back to the building, Lucy began to formulate a plan in her mind. It was insane and might not even come to fruition, but Lucy was determined to try. She would have to call a meeting with everyone to discuss it in the morning. In the meantime, she ought to pick up dinner for everyone. The others had been no better than catatonic at best. At worse they had been corpses for all but the fact that they'd had a heart beat and were breathing. Lucy did not know how she was still functioning. It probably had to do with the fact that she was really good at shutting things out. That and Lucy knew that her family would be furious if she wasted away like the others were.

* * *

Lucy clattered noisily through the entrance hall and into the kitchen to see if anyone was moving around yet. One person did wander into the kitchen to check on the source of the noise. It was Cobra, or Erik as he'd reluctantly told them to call him. Midnight had also dropped his codename in favour of his birth name, Macbeth. Lucy glanced at him curiously.

"Can I help you?" Lucy asked in a voice that was slightly rusty from disuse and many fits of sobbing and screaming.

"What are you cooking for dinner?" Erik asked, not answering her question.

"Chicken noodle soup to help soothe our broken hearts," Lucy replied, turning back to the stove to give the soup another stir.

"Homemade," he said in surprise, "that's unusual."  
"Well, I like cooking and it's easy to make, so why not," Lucy shrugged as she ladled herself a little taste. The broth was a little weak. Lucy added one more shake of her special spice mix and set the soup to simmer for a little longer before turning to face the second generation poison dragon slayer.

Lucy repeated her question, "Can I help you?"

Erik shrugged, "Maybe, maybe not." Lucy gave him a flat stare and he put his hands up in surrender. Lucy frowned internally at this. Usually the man had much more fire than this.

"I was wondering if, ah, you knew what you were gonna do now that, uhm, everyone's….gone," Erik asked hesitantly, a faint red colour tinging his upper cheeks.

Lucy's eyes softened. Erik had just had everything he knew stripped from him and was lost in the world. Much like everyone else and she had forgotten that underneath his asshole exterior, there was a human being. "I was going to hold a meeting about that very topic tomorrow morning. Should I move it to tonight and give people the night to think it over?" Lucy answered.

"I think tonight would be better," Erik said, "everyone's soul is in chaos from I can hear. They're lost which is why they're acting the way they are. I think that everyone needs someone to provide a path for them to walk on until they can get their lives pieced back together."

Lucy looked at him, then looked out to where she knew everyone was, a sad smile gracing her face. "Of course," Lucy murmured, "how could I not see it. Very well I shall hold the meeting tonight."

"I'll go roust people for dinner then," Erik wandered out of the kitchen, but halted when Lucy called out to him.

"We have some venom in the fridge, I think. Would you like it with your soup?"

Erik turned back, a genuine, but small, smile on his face, "That'd be great, thanks." He disappeared into the halls.

Fifteen minutes later, with the help of Virgo, the table was set for eighteen people. Every bowl was already filled with soup because the pots Lucy had used to cook the soup were too big to put on the dining room table. She snagged the vial of venom from the fridge and slipped it into her pocket before picking up the last tray of drinks. Virgo met her in the dining room and helped to place the rest of the drinks. Place cards were at each place so that people with strange food preferences wouldn't get their food mixed up with the people with normal food preferences. Lucy set the vial of venom at Erik's place and went to the living room to call everyone in for dinner.

She gasped in surprise at the scene in front of her. Everyone was gathered in the living room and playing the most intense version of Candy Land that Lucy had ever seen. It seemed to have been combined with Monopoly, Sorry, and Yahtzee. There were five teams of three and one team of two. Lucy smiled at the groups. Lisanna, Macbeth, and Frosch. Lyon, Kagura, and Mavis. Gajeel, Romeo, and Meredy. Rogue, Wendy, and Mest. Freed, Carla, and Erik. Cana and Lily. After a particularly loud scream from Meredy as her team lost nearly all their money, Lucy interrupted.

"It's time for dinner guys," she announced.

Everyone paused mid-movement and looked over at her in surprise. Then helped each other up and migrated to the dining room chatting amongst themselves. Lucy caught Erik's arm as he passed.

"Thank you," she whispered in his ear.

"No problem," he replied and the two of them followed the others to the dining room.

Dinner was a lively affair compared to the way it had been. The energy level was not as high as it had been before the war, but Lucy did not expect it to be. She was just glad that everyone was enjoying dinner, wide awake, and talking. Everyone appreciated Lucy's efforts to cater to their dietary preferences. Rogue and Wendy were baffled as to how she managed to incorporate their element into the soup, but Lucy had explained that she stuck tiny little lacrimas of their element into their bowls of soup.

After dinner was finished, the table cleared, and dishes washed, Lucy asked everyone to reconvene in the living room. They all mingled and sat next to people they had probably never really spoken to or didn't know all too well. Lucy sat alone in a recliner with Mavis perched behind her. She gulped nervously as everyone looked at her expectantly.

"I asked you all to come here because I want to discuss something very important with all of you," Lucy hesitated a moment before continuing, "the future."

Everyone in the room gained a familiar sad gleam to their eyes. Lucy closed her eyes briefly, inhaled, exhaled, and continued.

"I know that it is a painful thing to think about, but it is necessary. The war cost all of us more than we wanted to pay. It cost us our friends, our families, our homes, our visions of our futures. Nevertheless, I have decided to look forward with hope knowing that I am backed by the people who gave their lives to end the war, to save the country, to save _me_." Lucy paused again and cast a glance around the room, she had everyone's full attention and faces were masks of grief, anger, and, dare she say it, hope.

"I have decided what I want to do. The path I have chosen is one I will walk until the day I die, but it is also a path that is large and long enough for anyone who wants to join me. You can walk alongside me for however long you desire and may leave at any time." Mavis rested a ghostly hand on Lucy's shoulder in support, a knowing smile on her face as Lucy paused to wet her lips. "I will resurrect Fairy Tail."

Gasps ran around the room and everyone stared at her in shock, tears welling their eyes. Wendy had two shaking hands in front of her mouth, tears raining from her eyes. Surprisingly, though, it was Romeo who spoke in a voice so quiet Lucy could barely hear it.

"Why," he asked, head down, fists clenched in his lap and he stared at the lightning bolt tattoo on his forearm, a red dragon encircling it, "why are you doing this? I know Fairy Tail is never supposed to give up, but don't you suppose it's time for us to stop doing this? Isn't it time to end Fairy Tail for good and let the rest of the world take care of itself? Hasn't the universe given you enough clues that Fairy Tail is no longer needed?" Romeo's voice was getting steadily louder until he was on his feet and shouting, "THEY'RE GONE YOU KNOW! NO MIRACLE IS GOING TO HAPPEN THIS TIME! NATSU-NII ISN'T GOING TO KICK DOWN THE DOORS AGAIN! MY FATHER WILL NEVER GET DRUNK AGAIN AND PERVE ON THE GIRLS IN THE GUILD! THERE IS NO MASTER TO LEAD US! EVERYONE IS GONE AND THEY AREN'T COMING BACK THIS TIME!"

Romeo dropped to his knees panting. Lucy half stood to rush to his side along with Wendy, but Romeo wasn't done yet.

"My father died right in front of me. He shielded me from a blast of Zeref's magic," Romeo spoke in a normal volume, but his voice wavered. "I didn't think he was ever gonna die after we survived the dragon attack after the GMG. I didn't think anyone from Fairy Tail would die after Tenroujima and the dragon attack after the GMG. I didn't think the universe was cruel enough to take everyone from me a second time."

When Romeo's words trickled to a stop, Lucy was at his side, enveloping him in a hug. Everyone else in the room was frozen, memories running through their heads. Lucy felt tears drip onto her shoulder from Romeo's eyes. She stroked his head soothingly, like a mother.

"It's a dangerous thing to believe," Lucy said eventually, after she gathered her thoughts, "the idea that those around you are invincible. Everyone will have to leave this earth eventually. I had hoped that I would be the only sacrifice in the war." Romeo stiffened in her arms and everyone else in the room turned their attention to her in shock. Lucy pulled back from Romeo, a sad smile on her face.

"Oh yes," Lucy sighed a sad smile on her face, "I had a way to end the war instantaneously, but at the cost of my life and the gold keys. Master would not allow me to perform the spell. I tried, but Evergreen, of all people, interfered. She was the first person to sacrifice herself in order to let me live." Freed stifled a cry and Lucy glanced at him, tears pouring down her face. "I'm so sorry, Freed, your team gave their life to save mine. I was not worthy of the sacrifice. Master should have just let me perform the spell. He knew there was no way we were getting out of this fight unscathed and all living."

"No, Lucy-san," Freed denied her statement fervently, "I just did not know how they had perished. We got separated in the heat of the battle, despite our efforts to stay together. I had no idea how any of them perished. I am glad it was for a worthy reason and they weren't just defeated whilst protecting only themselves in a secluded corner."

"Every single death from that war was in vain," Lucy continued, "I am one person, but hundreds died because of me."

"Because of you?" Wendy asked, eyes wide.

"Zeref wanted his brother, but he also wanted me," Lucy explained. "Most of the people who died in the war, died shielding me from him. Zeref wanted my powers to augment his and he needed me to control Fairy Heart." The non-Fairy Tail mages in the room looked confused at the term, but those from Fairy Tail looked both stunned and horrified.

"Fairy Heart is my true body and a well of infinite magic," Mavis explained, those not in Fairy Tail had been granted the ability to see and hear her during the war to make the best tactical maneuvers possible, "and Zeref knew he could not wield it, or if he could, it would destroy him. A person of pure heart, strong will, and great intelligence is needed to correctly wield that power. Lucy has all the qualities and somehow Zeref knew that."

"Evergreen, Bickslow, Laxus, Orga, Juvia, Levy, Jellal, Sorano, Yukino, Richard, Sawyer, Wally, Sho, Minerva, Millianna, Natsu, Erza, Gray, Happy, and," Lucy paused, looked straight at Cana, her eyes filled with misery, grief, and tears, "Gildarts."

"Old man," Cana breathed meeting Lucy's gaze. In a flurry of movement, Cana flung herself off the couch, straight at Lucy. Lisanna and Wendy cried out in warning, but the blow that all were expecting to land, never came. Instead Cana's arms were wrapped around Lucy's waist, her face buried in the other girl's chest.

"Thank you," Cana whispered in a fervent prayer, "thank you, thank you so much. Oh Mavis, thank you, thank you, thank you."

Lucy blinked in surprise, before wrapping her arms around Cana and gently stroked her hair. "Cana," Lucy asked delicately, "Cana, what's wrong?"

"Thank you old man," Cana whispered, "thank you. I have never loved you so much as I do now. Thank you, dad."

"Cana, sweetie," Lucy said hesitantly, "is everything alright?"

"I love you," Cana responded, hugging Lucy every tighter, "I love you so much."

Lucy's eyes widened in surprise, then her expression softened, tears forgotten. "I love you too." And there was no mistaking the loving expression on her face and in her tone. It was not the love of a lover, but the love of a sister so close, they were practically the same person despite their different personalities.

The onlookers forgot their pain when they saw the smile on Lucy's face. It was the most perfect smile they'd ever seen and it encompassed all of them. It made them forget their heartbreak. The love pouring out of it filled the cracks and gaps their souls and stunned everyone, even those who knew that Lucy possessed great amounts of love and forgiveness. The smile on Lucy's face lit up the rooms and the hearts of those in it.

Cana pulled back, took one look at the smile on Lucy's face and knelt, head bowed. It was a very uncharacteristic move for one like Cana and Lucy rose to her feet to try and raise Cana up. Cana ignored Lucy's efforts.

"I," the card mage announced in a strong voice, "shall follow you to the ends of the earth and the high reaches of the heavens. No matter where this path will take us, I shall be at your side, for as long as we both shall live, and lend you my strength so that you may complete your mission."

That stunned Lucy into speechlessness. When she finally recovered enough to speak, Freed was there, kneeling before her next to Cana. "I," the rune mage copied Cana's statement, "shall follow you to the ends of the earth and the high reaches of the heavens. No matter where this path will take us, I shall be at your side, for as long as we both shall live, and lend you my strength so that you may complete your mission."

"Now guys," Lucy said nervously, backing up a step in astonishment, but she was never to going to get to say what she wanted to because Gajeel was there kneeling beside the other two mages.

"I," the Iron-Shadow Dragon Slayer said in an unusually serious voice, "shall follow you to the ends of the earth and the high reaches of the heavens. No matter where this path will take us, I shall be at your side, for as long as we both shall live, and lend you my strength so that you may complete your mission."

Rogue was there with Frosch, not giving Lucy a chance to compose herself. "I," the Light-Shadow Dragon Slayer and frog-costumed exceed chorused, "shall follow you to the ends of the earth and the high reaches of the heavens. No matter where this path will take us, I shall be at your side, for as long as we both shall live, and lend you my strength so that you may complete your mission."

Meredy joined the group kneeling on the floor. "I," the maguilty sense mage said, "shall follow you to the ends of the earth and the high reaches of the heavens. No matter where this path will take us, I shall be at your side, for as long as we both shall live, and lend you my strength so that you may complete your mission."

"You're being a bit hasty," Lucy warned, but no one was listening to her.

Lyon made an expression that seemed to, 'oh to hell with it,' before he too kneeled. "I," the new Ice Devil Slayer intoned, "shall follow you to the ends of the earth and the high reaches of the heavens. No matter where this path will take us, I shall be at your side, for as long as we both shall live, and lend you my strength so that you may complete your mission."

Wendy was not about to be outdone in showing her devotion to her older sister and quickly knelt. "I," the new Sky Dragon-God Slayer announced, sounding both serious and self-satisfied, "shall follow you to the ends of the earth and the high reaches of the heavens. No matter where this path will take us, I shall be at your side, for as long as we both shall live, and lend you my strength so that you may complete your mission."

Carla wasn't about to let her little charge get away and joined Wendy on the floor. "I," the pure-white exceed sighed, "shall follow you to the ends of the earth and the high reaches of the heavens. No matter where this path will take us, I shall be at your side, for as long as we both shall live, and lend you my strength so that you may complete your mission."

Lily seemed to finally shake off his shock at seeing his partner willingly kneeling and bowing his head before another knelt in front of Gajeel. "I," the black exceed said, setting his sword on the floor in front of him, "shall follow you to the ends of the earth and the high reaches of the heavens. No matter where this path will take us, I shall be at your side, for as long as we both shall live, and lend you my strength so that you may complete your mission."

Romeo joined his crush kneeling on the floor. "I," the Fire-Lightning Dragon-God Slayer said in a strong voice, "shall follow you to the ends of the earth and the high reaches of the heavens. No matter where this path will take us, I shall be at your side, for as long as we both shall live, and lend you my strength so that you may complete your mission."

Mest heaved a sigh, made a face that clearly said, 'Am I'm really about to do this? yup, I am,' and knelt. "I," the direct-line mage announced as if tell the universe to kiss his ass, "shall follow you to the ends of the earth and the high reaches of the heavens. No matter where this path will take us, I shall be at your side, for as long as we both shall live, and lend you my strength so that you may complete your mission."

Lisanna glanced at everyone on the floor, the three mages still sitting and looking on in shock, bit her lip, shook her head, and nodded to herself. Determination flashed through her eyes as she, too, knelt. "I," the animal soul takeover mage said, her brother and sister's strength coursing through her veins as she spoke, "shall follow you to the ends of the earth and the high reaches of the heavens. No matter where this path will take us, I shall be at your side, for as long as we both shall live, and lend you my strength so that you may complete your mission."

Kagura seemed to have finally processed whatever it was she was thinking about and took her sheath and sword off her belt, setting it in front of herself as she knelt. "I," the gravity mage and master swordswoman said in a voice that indicated this was the most obvious choice out of all the choices she had, "shall follow you to the ends of the earth and the high reaches of the heavens. No matter where this path will take us, I shall be at your side, for as long as we both shall live, and lend you my strength so that you may complete your mission."

Erik and Macbeth were the last mages left. Erik was gaping at the group of people kneeling on the floor in front of him, but facing one awestruck woman. Erik turned his gaze to the woman in front of him. He could, for whatever reason, not get a clear reading on her soul. It sounded like a symphony, with layer after layer of music, not sound like most people's soul, but actual music. No thoughts ran through it disturbing the pure sounds, unlike any other soul he had encountered. Either she was hiding her thoughts, or her mind was completely blank. Either way the noise it made was incredibly soothing and it pulled Erik in. He did not want to leave Lucy and loose the sound of the symphony of love, intelligence, beauty, determination, trust, honesty, and strength that was Lucy's soul.

Erik glanced over at his catatonic best friend of over twenty years and sighed. This was the best option. It was either join Lucy, Fairy Tail, and whatever mission she had planned, or go out into the world on his own, maybe with Macbeth, and find his own path. The odds were better sticking with Lucy, but did he really have to kneel and give that stupid oath? Erik closed his eye and read her soul once more. A new layer had added itself. Understanding. Erik looked at her in shock. A smile, just as big as the one she had given Cana, graced her lips and it was directed towards him and Macbeth. It was full of love, understanding, forgiveness, sympathy, and offerings of a brighter future than he could ever imagine. Yeah, he really did have to kneel and say that stupid oath. Erik did not have what it took to stand equal with this woman, no one did.

With this is mind, Erik rose and deliberately walked until he was directly to the left of her left hand, but far enough back as was a respectable distance, with space for another in front of him. Lucy's eyes followed him as he knelt and bowed his head in a show of submission. "I," the Poison Dragon Slayer said in a slow and deliberate voice, "shall follow you to the ends of the earth and the high reaches of the heavens. No matter where this path will take us, I shall be at your side, for as long as we both shall live, and lend you my strength so that you may complete your mission. No matter what it is you require of me, I shall do it to the best of my ability. I shall try until I succeed no matter the cost."

Lucy's soul trilled a welcome flair with a piccolo. Erik smiled, his head still bowed. Then he tunned into a different soul. The soul of his best friend. It was filled with discordance and confusion, thoughts burbled along its surface. 'Why would you give away your freedom?' Macbeth's soul wondered, 'how will you ever fulfill your prayer, your one wish now?' Erik's smile tightened and his shoulder muscles bunched in grief. Cubellios was gone. She had been one of the Fairy's and was known as Kinana in her human form. And she had died in the war.

A sudden hush in Macbeth's soul drew Erik's attention. All sound beside the normal sound every human's soul makes had died. 'I will fight,' surfaced in Macbeth's soul. A thought laced with some much determination and a rush of such affection that Erik longed to raise his head to see what was going on, but did not dare to. Steps sounded and the air swished as someone knelt next to Erik. Macbeth.

"I," the darkness and reflector mage spoke in a calm, determined voice that Erik had never heard from the man before and he echoed Erik's words, "shall follow you to the ends of the earth and the high reaches of the heavens. No matter where this path will take us, I shall be at your side, for as long as we both shall live, and lend you my strength so that you may complete your mission. No matter what it is you require of me, I shall do it to the best of my ability. I shall try until I succeed no matter the cost."

One person besides Lucy remained standing and slowly, almost ceremoniously, that person knelt directly in front of Lucy in the space Erik had left open. This person was the First Master Mavis Vermilion. "I," the First Master spoke in the voice of a thirteen year-old girl despite being one hundred and nineteen, "shall follow you to the ends of the earth and the high reaches of the heavens. No matter where this path will take us, I shall be at your side, for as long as you shall live, and lend you my strength so that you may complete your mission."

All eighteen mages kneeling in front of Lucy in such a way that they created an arrow led by Mavis and pointing at Lucy, raised their heads. "We make this oath under the heavens," all of them said as one, words they did not recognize filling their heads and flowing out of their mouths unbidden, "we recognize its significance and understand that failure to fulfill this oath whilst still following our pledged will result in immediate and painful death. We shall not falter in our duty. We might stumble and fall whilst following this path, but we will always stand and help others to stand. We recognize that that who stands before us as our pledged, our master, our god and shall not betray this person, lest we be bereft of our powers and our lives. We shall follow you on your path and provide all support necessary for you to achieve your goal. By this oath we shall abide until the time comes when you absolve us from our responsibilities."

"I recognize and accept your oaths. I recognize that my path is not one I can walk by myself, unsupported and unaided by those who kneel before me and offer me fealty," Lucy voiced the words that now filled her mind, arms sweeping wide to encompass all those who knelt before her, "I shall gladly accept your assistance in fulfilling my goal, as hard as it may be and as long as it may take. I vow to absolve you of your responsibilities when I feel as though you have fulfilled your oaths."

Lucy's eyes were wide with surprise as a small portion of each mage's magic seeped out of their pores and condensed into a ball of magic hovering above the group. Once everyone's power was in the ball, it sped towards Lucy, and before the girl could so much as raise her arms to protect herself, it collided with and then entered, her body. It filled her body and Lucy's back arched in pain at the sudden intrusion of foreign magic. Then the oddest thing began to happen, the magic that had entered into her system forced itself into her magic container and seemed to create its own container next to Lucy's Second Origin. A symbol for each person's magic appeared around her wrists in a bracelet of tattoos. A bracelet of stars appeared on the wrists of every mage kneeling before Lucy as their oath was sealed.

When it ended, Lucy collapsed to the ground panting. Much of her magic had disappeared during the process, probably gone into making the eighteen bracelets of stars and forging an unbreakable bond with every mage who knelt before her.

"Oath," Mavis said in tone approaching reverence, "I never thought I'd see the day when there was a leader great enough that the spell would be performed. Much less that I would get to be part of it."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: This chapter picks up right after the other one ends. I hope you like this chapter.**

 **Sorry for taking so long to update. I had this chapter ready and waiting to be posted without realizing I hadn't posted it. Oops.**

 **All rights to Hiro Mashima.**

 **I do not own the song "Awakening" by Jackie Evancho.**

 **Chapter 2: The First Step to a New Tomorrow**

"Oath?" Lisanna asked curiously as she examined her new tattoo, a bracelet of stars each with a different symbol of the Zodiac in them.

"It is spell that is thought to be only a myth," Freed explained as he rose and helped a clearly exhausted Lucy to stand and sit in the recliner she'd been in earlier. "Those who take part in it are bound by unbreakable bonds and can share magic with the others who took part in the spell. There must be a person who inspires all in the group enough that they feel willing to dedicate their entire lives to helping that person achieve their goal. It has only been performed once in all of recorded history by a group of five dragons who united to take down Zeref. However they failed in their mission and are now all dead."

"Igneel, Metalicana, Grandeeney, Weisslogia, and Skiadrum," Wendy breathed in awe.

"Yes," Freed nodded, "and the dragons were unable to share their powers because they were each the ruler of their element and did not want to give up the slightest control of their elements."

"So how do they know that by performing Oath you can share powers?" Lisanna asked confused.

"Because the dragons felt that ability, but chose to never use it," Mavis said.

"Who was the leader of the dragon group?" Meredy wondered.

"Igneel," Freed responded, "but only because he spoke about it first. Any of the dragons who had voiced their ideas to take down Zeref and received unanimous support would have been the leader."

"Ahh," Meredy nodded and sat on the couch next to Kagura.

"What now?" Mest asked, helping Wendy to the couch that Meredy and Kagura sat on before seating himself next to Cana on a loveseat. "Are we going to contact the Magic Council and inform them who is dead, who is alive, and our plans?"

"No," Lucy said, looking over the eighteen mages seated before her. "We are not going to tell the Magic Council anything. We will operate outside their knowledge and rule above them. They are ignorant fools who bicker over meaningless things day in and day out while we mages are struggling to survive and help others live. No. We will not report anything to them. If they want to know something, they can go to the trouble of finding it out for themselves. Instead we are going to have a proper funeral for those who gave their lives in this war. I know we already buried them, but we did not properly honour their sacrifices. I think it's time we did that."

"I agree," Lyon stated, raising a hand.

"Same," Macbeth said, also raising a hand.

Everyone else glanced about the room, and as though they could read each other's minds, raised a hand and said, "Aye!"

"Tomorrow then, dress to impress and we'll meet in the dining room for breakfast before heading out," Lucy instructed.

"Aye, sir!" The others acknowledged.

"After that we'll set about stamping everyone with the new guild mark and-" Lucy started, but was interrupted.

" _New_ guild mark?" Cana asked affronted, "what's wrong with the current one?"

"Nothing. I just thought that we could add a little something in honour of our fallen comrades and new members, like a miniature guild mark of every guild that has a member joining us around the Fairy Tail symbol," Lucy explained, "I understand if you guys don't want to or if you have a different idea."

"What if we actually got the stamps for every guild that played a major role in the defeat of Zeref," Wendy suggested.

"That's much better than changing the Fairy Tail stamp, no offense Lu," Cana said relieved.

"None taken," Lucy said, "I actually like Wendy's suggestion more too."

"So we are gonna have seven different guild marks?!" Romeo exclaimed.

"That does sound a bit excessive," Rogue agreed.

"It's a great idea bunny," Gajeel grunted, smiling.

"I think we should do it," Mest agreed smiling.

"I'm glad you think so," Lucy smirked at Mest, "because you're gonna have to be the one to nab the stamps from the guild buildings. And it's going to be eight marks, not seven."

"What's the eighth guild?" Romeo asked confused.

"Cait Shelter. Although they did not directly fight Zeref and his evils, they gave us Wendy and perished as a great magic that Zeref could have used to do great evil with was destroyed," Lucy said. The former Oracion Seis members winced at the memory and Wendy gave Lucy a teary, thankful smile for not forgetting her old family that had raised her when she was still a child.

"We'll work together to create a list of their most likely locations," Lily put in, "so that Mest can be more efficient."

"I like that idea," Mest nodded, "then I can be more accurate about my landing space too."

"Let's do this!" Lisanna cheered.

"I already have the Crime Sorciere stamp!" Meredy announced, pulling the stamp from practically thin air.

"Here's the Fairy Tail stamp," Mavis said and the stamp shimmered into existence in her hands.

Lucy took both stamps and ordered everyone to line up and ready the location they wanted the stamps. Freed got his Crime Sorciere stamp on his right shoulder, his Fairy Tail stamp was on his left hand. Lisanna had her Fairy Tail stamp on her left thigh and her Crime Sorciere one on her right thigh. Wendy had her Fairy Tail stamp on her right shoulder and Crime Sorciere on her right shoulder. Gajeel had the opposite. Carla and Lily both transformed to their humanoid forms and had the Fairy Tail and Crime Sorciere stamps on opposite shoulder blades. Mest his stamps in the same place as Gajeel. Mavis could not get the stamps. Cana had her Fairy Tail stamp on her left waist and her Crime Sorciere one right next to it on her abdomen. Meredy had her Crime Sorciere and Fairy Tail stamps on opposite shoulder blades like the exceeds. Kagura copied Lisanna, but her Mermaid Heel stamp was on the center of her chest. Rogue had his Sabertooth stamp on his left shoulder, he had the Fairy Tail symbol go on his right shoulder and the Crime Sorciere stamp went below his Sabertooth symbol. Macbeth had his Crime Sorciere stamp on his chest, his Fairy Tail symbol went over his heart. Erik had his Crime Sorciere guild mark in the same place as Macbeth, but chose to put the Fairy Tail stamp on his right shoulder. Frosch decided to wait to get the new stamps until he could transform like Carla and Lily, but removed his Sabertooth symbol and get the Fairy Tail one instead. Lyon had his Lamia Scale stamp on his right pectoral, his Fairy Tail stamp went on his left pectoral over his heart and the Crime Sorciere went on his right hip. Finally Lucy placed the Crime Sorciere stamp on her left arm, right where Erza had had her guild mark. It was a tribute to Erza and Jellal. Mavis could not get new guild marks.

"Now that that's done," Lucy said once everyone was settled back in their seats, "anyone who wants a change in their wardrobe is welcome to come find me tomorrow after we do everything else. Virgo is helping me make mine and would love to help anyone else who needs it." The girls glanced at each other excitedly while the guys glanced down at their clothes in apprehension. "If it's just a colour change I have a device that will help with that," Lucy added seeing the looks in some of the guys' faces.

"For now, why don't we all go to bed and rest. Tomorrow will be a long day filled with talking. We've talked a lot tonight and we got a lot done, but we still have a lot left to do. We've only taken the first step on our path," Lucy instructed. Everyone nodded in agreement and headed their separate ways. All the girls gathered in Lucy's room to spend the night in each other's company. All of them unwilling to separate just quite yet, as though what had happened tonight was a dream and they needed to wake up together to make sure it really happened.

* * *

Breakfast was a quiet affair with mages trickling in and out of the kitchen and dining room, all yawning and in pajamas. Lucy was one of the first people to wake up that morning. She was still yawning as Macbeth, the last one up, stumbled into the kitchen to find breakfast. Lucy shoved a bowl of steaming porridge in his hands and directed him back out to the dining room. Once Macbeth had finished breakfast, everyone reconvened in the living room, which was quickly becoming the meeting place because it was the only room big enough to hold everyone that wasn't the dining room.

Lucy surveyed the mages who sat before her. They all wore their best clothing that they had on hand. For most of them is was a cleaner version of what they had worn the other day. "Alright guys," Lucy addressed them in an informal manner, "are we about ready to head out?"

"Yes," Freed said, "we are just waiting for Cana."

"I'm here!" aforementioned card mage skidded into the room, tying up her hair.

"We are all present and ready," Freed reported.

Lucy raised an eyebrow in amusement. Freed was quickly becoming the quartermaster of a sort, though for people instead of items. "Well then," she said, "let's go, we have a lot to do and not enough time to do it."

All nineteen mages, led by Lucy who was conversing with Mavis, exited the building and headed into town to get some flowers and provisions. They made quite the spectacle in town, as most of the residents of Magnolia had assumed that Fairy Tail and the other guilds were all dead or gone. Lucy and Lisanna set about telling the citizens that they were not going to disband for good and that everyone in town today was the new Fairy Tail. Yes, they were still open for requests and, yes, they would stay as Magnolia's resident guild and chase out anyone else who tried to form a guild here.

It was odd how relieved the people of Magnolia were at the news that Fairy Tail was not going to disband permanently. Also the grief at the news of those who had perished in the war was overwhelming. Lucy informed the mayor of where the grave was, in the place the guild hall had once stood, and mentioned that the citizens were welcome to visit anytime. She also instructed that any jobs he had for them be left there. Lucy's reasoning for this was that the new guild hall was hidden from the casual observer and a bit of a hike from town. He agreed gladly and went off to inform the Magic Council that Magnolia had no need of a new guild, as they already had protection. Lucy had made him promise not to tell them that Fairy Tail was still operating so that they could remain independent and elusive. He'd agreed gladly, annoyed with the past interference of the Magic Council in the running of his town.

The mages of Fairy Tail gathered around the mass grave that had been constructed by Lucy and Virgo. It was a beautiful stone structure that was a larger version of the First Master's grave. The names of everyone who had died in the war were engraved in the stone. Lucy set the item she'd brought in the circular cut out. It was a special lacrima in the shape of the Fairy Tail symbol and it contained a piece of the Spirit World, a gift given to her by the Celestial Spirit King in recognition of those who'd sacrificed themselves to end the war and keep Lucy alive. The lacrima hung there and cast a brilliant light over the grave and surrounding area.

Lucy looked at the grave in front of her and sighed. She knew in her heart that she would never forgive herself for these deaths, but in her head she could not help but wonder if they were truly satisfied with the life and death they had been given. Lucy certainly had to believe so, otherwise she might never be able to live her life to its full potential.

Lucy knew what she had to do in order to truly release her feelings. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath and blocked out the world; she blocked out the people standing around her, the sounds of a bustling city, and those mourning for their lost loved ones. Lucy blocked it all out, took a deep breath, and began to sing.

It started as a whisper as Lucy pulled herself together and gathered her thoughts. "Memories, memories, memories," she whispered. It came to her. The perfect farewell song to sing.

" _In this world you tried_

 _Not leaving me alone behind_

 _There's no other way_

 _I'll pray to the gods: let him stay,_

 _The memories ease the pain inside_

 _Now I know why_ "

Lucy sang in her clear alto as loud as she could. Those around her stopped whispering and moving once the first syllable left her mouth. Lucy ignored it all and focused on pouring her whole being into the song.

" _All of my memories_

 _Keep you near_

 _In silent moments_

 _Imagine you'd be here_

 _All of my memories_

 _Keep you near_

 _The silent whispers, silent tears_ "

Lucy heard muffled sobs behind her. She knew that she was okay at singing. Her mother had had a beautiful voice, and people said that Lucy sounded exactly like her. Lucy couldn't believe them though. Her father had always hated to hear her singing after her mother had died even though he'd loved it when Layla had sung. Nevertheless, Lucy sang on.

" _Made me promise I'd try_

 _To find my way back in this life_

 _I hope there is a way_

 _To give me a sign you're okay_

 _Reminds me again_

 _It's worth it all_

 _So I can go home_ "

Lucy wondered where home was now. She knew in her mind it was Fairy Hills with her new guild members, but at the same time Lucy knew that she would never truly be able to call another place home for as long as she grieved. Lucy let out her sadness in her song, the only way she knew how to truly show how she felt.

" _All of my memories_

 _Keep you near_

 _In silent moments_

 _Imagine you'd be here_

 _All of my memories_

 _Keep you near_

 _The silent whispers, silent tears"_

Lucy choked back a sob herself and kept going. Although it was extremely hard to sing around the lump in her throat, but Lucy pressed on. This song was for those who had given their lives for the war, for the country, for _her._

" _Together in all these memories_

 _I see your smile_

 _All the memories I hold dear_

 _Darling you know I love you till the end of time_

 _All of my memories_

 _Keep you near_

 _In silent moments_

 _Imagine you'd be here_

 _All of my memories_

 _Keep you near_

 _The silent whispers, silent tears."_

Lucy held the last word and let it drift off into the wind. There was no applause and Lucy didn't expect any. The only thing that greeted her was the sobs of broken-hearted, grieving people. Lucy let herself drop to the ground as the strength in her legs gave out. She collapsed onto the base of the gravestone and let the tears pour out.

It wasn't a display she wanted to show her new guildmates, but Lucy didn't care. The pain, the grief, the despair, it was all too much now. Lucy couldn't keep it all bottled up until she was alone. This was a pain deeper than any she'd ever known.

* * *

Erik had known that coming to the grave was going to be a painful experience beyond just the pain at remembering his dead comrades. The pain from the souls of the others was also going to hurt. The thoughts would disrupt the surface of their souls more than ever before. But the pain flowing from Lucy's soul was on a whole other level than what he had been expecting.

It swallowed her thoughts and took over the symphony that was usually playing in her soul. From the moment his sharp ears caught the first words of her song, the pain had been growing. Erik had been hard put to not let out the roar building in the back of his throat. The roar of a dragon who was grieving. Now though, that roar threatened to spill out from his lips whether he wanted it to or not. Curious to see if Rogue, Gajeel, and Wendy were having the same the same troubles, he glanced over at them.

Gajeel was kneeling in front of the names of the rain woman and the tiny blue haired woman. Rogue was nearby in front of the name of his 'twin,' the Light Dragon Slayer. Wendy was standing next to Romeo and holding his hand. All three of them had their jaws clenched. He wondered who would break first. Erik thought it was going to be Wendy. She was the youngest and had the least amount of experience in suppressing her draconic instincts. But it was himself.

The pain in Lucy's soul crested to an unbearable level and before Erik could stop himself or wonder why her pain hurt him so much, his mouth opened and the roar that had been collecting in his throat spilled out and rent the sky. As if it were a signal, Wendy's roar, then Rogue's and Gajeel's roar filled the space left. Together they let out their pain in a harmonized roar of grief that contained no magic, only noise.

The other mages looked on in awe and slight fear. The grief of the Dragon Slayers was overwhelming. Romeo, who'd recently been granted the powers of both a Dragon and a God Slayer, felt the need to roar too. So he heeded his instincts, they'd never failed him in the past, and let loose the roar he needed too. Erik felt a faint sense of pride at the tremulous roars of the younger slayers. He hadn't realized quite how fierce they could be until now, especially the little Sky Dragon Slayer, well Dragon-God Slayer.

Erik had known intellectually that just the fact that she was a dragon slayer made her more powerful than a normal mage. But the sheer amount of power that resonated in her roar and in her soul astounded him. Wendy would become one of the strongest Slayers ever to walk the earth if she managed to harness her power. Those thoughts slipped from his mind as one more voice joined them. It wasn't a slayer, but a normal mage. It was Lucy.

Her voice rose and fell in a wordless song. It wove through the roars and spun a tale of sadness. Somehow her voice was able to become as loud as the dragons' were, but stay distinctly melodic, but it didn't really seem _human._ Her song was ethereal as it spun through the grief and anger filled roars of the dragon slayers, spinning them into something beautiful. Erik closed his eyes and poured his heart out. Lucy's song let him release the feelings he'd buried deep in his heart and reopen old wounds to let them properly heal. Tears began to run down his face.

* * *

Lyon had been kneeling in front of the name of his little brother. The two of them weren't related by blood, but Lyon had always considered Gray his little brother, even when they'd been enemies. He looked up in surprise when a sweet voice rang out into the air. The words brought to mind memories of happier days, and the day Gray had died.

Before running off, Gray had clasped Lyon's arm and embraced him in a very unusually show of public affection. Gray had whispered in his ear, 'I grant to you my powers if I am to perish today in this war.' Lyon had been confused, but Gray had pulled back quickly, the intimacy making him uncomfortable. 'Live, brother,' Gray had said then. Lyon replied likewise. Gray turned to join his team as they prepared to head out, but turned back to face Lyon on last time. 'I love you. I know I don't act like it and I've certainly never said it, but I love you and I want you to know that.' Lyon had found himself saying the words back before Gray smirked and turned to join his team.

That was the last time Lyon saw Gray until his body had joined the rows of corpses at the end of the war. When Lyon had touched Gray's prone form in horror, a strange magic power had engulfed him. It was an ice magic colder than anything. Ice Devil Slaying magic or so Lucy had told him after she saw the mark on his arm. Lyon had just been thankful that he had something by which to remember his brother who was truly now a part of him.

The wounds in Lyon's heart opened as Lucy finished her song, the dragons roared, and Lucy's voice began once more to twin with the roars. Though his heart bled, the death of Ur, then of Ultear, and finally Gray started to heal. Very slowly, but the wounds left by Ur's death were already healing into cleaner scars. The trauma was fading from his heart and the song of his soul becoming purer.

* * *

Meredy was standing next to Macbeth and Erik when the song started up. She had looked for its source and saw Lucy standing in front of the grave, her mouth open and eyes closed. Lucy was the source of the song. Meredy watched in amazement as Lucy sang her heart out. The lyrics tugged at the pain she had buried deep in her heart. The pain of losing her parents, her guild, Ultear, Jellal, and all her friends.

Meredy held in her tears the best she could as Lucy's song called up memory after memory and dug into the previously bandaged and slightly healed wounds in her heart, reopening them. Meredy choked on a sob and desperately tried to stifle her crying, eyes closed tightly. Arms wrapped around her and pulled her into a familiar body. A chin rested on her head as arms held her close. Drops of water fell from the eyes of the person holding her.

Meredy managed to sneak a peek through her lashes to see who was hugging her. A black vest was right in front of her face. It was Macbeth. Meredy hugged the man closer, his presence comforting. Meredy wasn't attracted to Macbeth in any sort of sexual way. His presence was like that of an older brother who protected you and held you close when you were scared.

The two held onto each other in the face of the grief caused by Lucy's beautiful song. When it ended and the roars began, the two just held on harder. Then Lucy's voice rose again and entwined with the roars in an ethereal song, the tears just came harder and they clung tighter still.

* * *

All around the grave mages were sobbing and clinging to those who were closest to them as the dragons roared and Lucy sang. It went on for an eternity. Long enough that all the wounds of all the mages in their hearts had opened and begun to bleed and then heal into cleaner scars. The healing process would be long, but they had each other to rely on. Eventually, one day, all the members of the newly re-formed Fairy Tail would be totally healed except for the occasional twinge of pain in their hearts.

* * *

Lucy led the way back through town after they had finished paying their respects to the dead. She was pleased with the way that the hearts of everyone had opened and how they'd come together in the end to share their pain with one another and to soothe each other. That in and of itself was more progress than she could have ever hoped for to occur in one day.

Tomorrow would truly begin the test to see whether or not they would succeed. Tomorrow Lucy intended to head out into the world and begin to fix the tears cause by the war. First would be Hargeon, then they'd go to the north and help before circling back to Magnolia for a quick stop and rest break. After that they would head to the opposite side of the continent as Hargeon and south, circling back to Magnolia. Every three years or so the whole guild would do that exact route, Lucy decided on their way home. It would ensure that they were known throughout the country.

 **A/N: That's a wrap!**

 **Thanks for reading!  
Artistofthemind**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Sorry for any typos, I have a concussion and nothing else to do.**

 **This is going to be a more Lucy-centric story, but I'll make sure to include other blossoming relationships and bonds as the story goes on, so let me know if there's any character you guys want to see in depth and I'll see what I can do!**

 **All rights to Hiro Mashima!**

 **Chapter 3: Traveling the Road to Recovery**

Lucy stood on the ridge looking down at the people of her city. Laxus's coat fluttered around her in the breeze. Her eighteen guild members stood behind her in their new clothes and cloaks, waiting. Even Mavis had donned a cloak, though non-guild members would not be able to see her, yet. Lucy was determined to free Mavis's corporeal form someday. Originally, they'd only been supposed to wear black or blue cloaks, but Meredy had had a red one that she absolutely had to use and since Lucy herself would be using Laxus's coat, she didn't think it would be fair to deny the others the right to choose their colour for their cloaks. Most had still picked a blue or a black cloak though. Only Lucy, Meredy, Wendy, and Mavis had selected a different colour.

Sighing, Lucy turned away from the view on the ridge and rejoined her guild members. "Time to go," she ordered. "We are headed for Hargeon. We'll be walking until we can figure out a different way to travel easily through the various terrains we'll be going through."

"We can think on that later," Gajeel said, turning slightly green at the mention of moving vehicles. "Let's try to cover some ground before the sunsets."

"It's barely risen you idiot," Meredy said and she headed off in the direction of the port town.

Macbeth chortled and followed. "She's got you there."

Gajeel harrumphed as others joined the laughter. Lucy smiled as she brought up the rear and watched her family as they interacted. She'd already planned out the smaller teams. Remembering the teams they'd formed to play games had really helped, in fact Lucy had kept those teams together and because of that, she did not have a team. It didn't much matter though, Lucy had different things she'd be doing as guild master like keeping track of requests and appearances of dark mages, guilds, and Zeref-related incidents.

Erik dropped back to walk next to her. "So, what's the plan? Are we leaving Magnolia right after telling the Mayor that we'd protect them and to piss off the Magic Council by telling the mayor to tell the Magic Council to go fuck themselves and stay the hell out of Magnolia?"

Lucy giggled. "Not quite. Loke is supposed to check in every week and report any missions or troubles to me and I can rush home to take care of it if need be. I'm fairly sure the Magic Council knows that I am alive. There are these scrolls you see, that keep track of all Celestial Mages and the Council currently possesses them. I intend to steal them back when we stop in Era."

Erik barked out a laugh. "Like you would-" he cut himself off when he caught a glimpse of her face. "You're serious aren't you?"

Lucy smiled a terrifying, chilly smile. "Those scrolls belong to the Celestial Spirit King so that he can keep track of the number of Celestial Mages in the world for safety reasons. I have it on good authority that the Council does not always use those scrolls for good. Long ago they had a Celestial Mage steal the scrolls from the Celestial Realm. That was the last time a human went there until the King summoned my friends and I. It was an unpardonable crime and the King stripped the mage of her powers and cast her out into the world magicless and with many great foes. Needless to say she died the painful death she deserved."

Erik blinked. There was real malice and glee in this woman's voice when she spoke of the punishment of this Celestial Mage. The symphony in her mind echoed it meaning that she wasn't acting. Here he'd been thinking she wasn't capable of that kind of ruthlessness. The Fairies had been pretty pro-living and pro-forgiving last time he'd talked to any of them. Curious, he asked, "I thought you Fairies were all gungho about second chances, doesn't this mage deserve the benefit of the doubt?"

Lucy's face darkened. "No. She betrayed the one commandment a celestial mage must live by, keeping all promises. Otherwise your contracts with your spirits would mean nothing. This mage, she broke the one promise above all that Celestial Mages must uphold, to not break the laws of the ancient agreement between humans and spirits. Any Celestial Mage who breaks that promise deserves the punishment she or he is handed."

Erik's eyes widened at the cold tone she had when speaking of it. "Well then," he said.

"Get that the fuck away from me!" Cana screamed up ahead. "Seriously put that fucker down!"

"Don't worry!" Meredy called. "It's not poisonous!"

"I don't fucking care! I'm not fucking touching it!" Cana called and Lucy saw her running towards the back of the group.

Meredy was close on her heels, holding something in her hand. "Is that a…. snake?" Lucy asked squinting to see exactly what it was that the bubblegum-haired mage held.

"Yup," Erik said, popping the p.

Lucy sighed. "Meredy! Stop antagonizing Cana! Go bother someone else!" She called.

Meredy didn't stop chasing the card mage. "Why the hell should I?! This is a lot of fun!"

Lucy smirked. "Because you might wake up without hair! I think we still have some pictures of Gajeel after he woke up the morning after antagonizing Cana."  
Meredy froze and touched her hair worriedly with the hand that wasn't holding the snake. Erik sidled up to the mage and plucked snake from her grasp. Cana stopped running when she realized that she wasn't being chased anymore. She cautiously edged closer until the card mage could tell that the maguilty mage no longer had possession of the snake.

"You're gonna pay for that!" Cana cried out as she tackled the younger mage.

Meredy shrieked as the two of them tumbled down. Cana attacked her ticklish spots merciless. The bubblegum-haired mage laughed with a shrill voice.

"STOP! OH GOD! CAAANAAAHAAAHAAA! SERIOUS- AHAAHA- LY I'M GONNA WAAAAAAHHHAAAHAAAAAA PEEEE!" Meredy shrieked.

Cana laughed maniacally and continued. "I DON'T CARE!"

Hands reached down yanked Cana up. Surprised, Cana looked to see who had interfered. It was Lyon and he was scowling. "You two are adults. Especially you, Cana, you ought to act like one," he scolded.

Cana stuck her tongue out at the older man. "I don't care. I can act how I want to," she retorted.

Lucy giggled. "Alright guys, let's keep going. We have a a lot of ground to cover by tonight."

Carla was frowned at the mages from her perch on Wendy's shoulder. The sky slayer giggled at the scene. Macbeth, who was awake for once, snorted as Cana, freed from Lyon, tackled Meredy again and the two girls began to brawl. When Lyon and Rogue tried to break up the fight, the two were yanked in. Soon everyone but Lucy, Mavis, and Carla were involved in the fight.

"It is good to see them so lively again," Carla huffed, "but I wish they wouldn't involve Wendy in their antics."

Mavis giggled. "Wendy is no longer a child for you to protect," she told Carla, "and she has not been for a very long time."  
Carla sighed sadly. "I know, but I can't help myself. I still see a scared, helpless little girl when I look at her."

"Wendy is far from helpless. She is now one of the only two known Dragon-God Slayers in the world and the fiercest at that. Soon she will not need your guidance at all," Mavis cautioned.

Carla's face was a mask of sad knowing. "I am aware that that day is fast approaching. But I can't help but cling to the past, to times when the largest problem was what to eat for lunch or dinner that day."

Lucy broke in. "We are all trying to cling to the last shreds of the past. That is why they are fighting right now. Those fists are their tears, those kicks are their screams. The bruises they are gaining now are the wounds in their heart and soul that they cannot bear to show to the world yet. This is Fairy Tail's way of confirming their vitality, their will to live, their grief. This is Fairy Tail trying to hold onto the past and move to future at the same time. Right now everyone is broken and clinging to what shreds they can. Soon new habits will instill themselves and new routines will be made. For now this is the only habit that they know, that they can bear to follow."

Mavis regarded the young woman standing beside her with awe. There was something uncanny behind her words. It was as if Lucy could see the hearts and souls of each and every guild member and understood the pain that each individual member held. Mavis got the feeling that this woman had never been troubled by the walls that people erect to protect themselves. Lucy's eyes looked straight through the walls to the heart of each person that she met and instantly understood what resided there. Mavis had never met a person of Lucy's still, though she'd heard of mages who had the skill to see people's greatest fears and desires in their eyes.

"You are quite wise for your age Lucy," Mavis commented.

Lucy smiled faintly. "I do not have any wisdom. I have only words bequeathed to me by my comrades and my family. I have only my faith in the strength of my friends and myself. I have only love for the people of this world and need to see them prosper in happiness and health. To keep myself satisfied, I will use any means necessary to help achieve a safe world for my family to live in."

Carla was staring at Lucy when suddenly her vision blurred. _A forest, covered in flames. Lucy singing. Stars falling. A young man, crying, eyes a brilliant crimson red as he sent wave after wave of dark magic towards a being covered in gold light. Familiar bodies scattered on the ground like discarded dolls, faces contorted in pain. The Fairy Tail lacrima at the grave breaking. A wave of light engulfing the continent._

When Carla emerged from her vision, tears were streaming down her face. Lucy and Mavis were staring at her in concern. In the background, the fight was still going strong. Carla focused on it to gather her thoughts and started in surprise when she caught sight of tears on more than a few of the members' faces.

"A vision?" Lucy asked kindly.

Carla snapped her head to stare at the young woman in surprise, then nodded. "Yes," she said softly. "It was."  
"Will you tell me?" Lucy inquired, regarding Carla with a steady gaze.

Carla considered it. She was sure that Lucy would not push her if she did not feel comfortable sharing yet. But it seemed important and Lucy might know something that would help unravel the mystery of her vision. "I will," Carla decided. The exceed took a deep breath and steadied herself. "I saw a burning forest. You, Lucy, singing and stars falling. A young man, probably in his twenties, with red eyes. He was smiling and crying at the same time and shooting waves of black magic and this being made out of golden light. Guild members and allies scattered on a field, injured and with features twisted by pain. The lacrima you put in the grave yesterday shattering. And finally, a wave of light spreading across the country."

Lucy and Mavis were silent considering what Carla told them for quite a while. Carla noted that Lucy's eyes held a sad, knowing gleam. "Do you know something Lucy?" the white exceed finally asked, not being able to stand not having any inkling what her unusually long vision was about.

"I have a few ideas that I would like to explore a little more before I share them with anyone. As for what to do about what you saw, I think I will tell everyone tonight over supper. There will be no secrets between us if we want to live. Once I have figured my ideas out, I will share them, but not before then. I don't want anyone unduly worried," Lucy's voice was calm and controlled, but her thoughts raced.

Lucy knew who the young man was, having faced him in battle. It was Zeref, although the Black Mage was supposed to have died in the war. There were still groups of Zeref worshippers in the country, so Lucy wouldn't be surprised if one of them somehow managed to resurrect the Black Mage in some semblance of life. As for the singing and falling stars, Lucy had a hunch, but she needed to consult Loke and Grandpa Crux for more information.

"Well," Mavis said smiling, "why don't we just enjoy ourselves for today and not worry too much about the future."

Lucy smiled too, the distant look in her eyes faded and she turned back to the brawlers. "I believe that we've let this go on long enough," she sighed. "I'll guess I'll have to stop them."

Carla raised an eyebrow. "And how do you plan on doing that?"

Lucy grinned and gave the exceed a wink. She took a deep breath and yelled as loudly and as commandingly as she could. "SHUT UP AND SIT DOWN YOU BRATS!"

The fighters froze where they stood and plopped down. Once they realized what they had just done, many of the guys scowled. Despite the fact that they looked frustrated with their immediate obedience of Lucy's order, no one made a move. She surveyed the crowd before her and smiled.

"Thank you," Lucy said. "I believe that I have allowed you all to fight for long enough. I'm just glad that there are no tables or guilds out here to be broken because that was one fierce brawl." A few titters and chuckles rippled through the crowd. Lucy continued. "Now, I believe that it's time to kiss and makeup with everyone. We still have many miles ahead of us that I would like to cover before retiring for the night." Lucy waited expectantly and when no one moved she bellowed. "LET'S MOVE PEOPLE! NO SUPPER IF I CAN'T SEE HARGEON!"

That got more of a reaction and everyone sprang to their feet and started to race off in different directions. It took fifteen minutes to get everyone organized, the supplies redistributed, and snacks consumed before Fairy Tail was able to head down the path again, this time in a more quiet, subdued manner. Lucy drifted behind everyone, watching small groups naturally form and clump, members spreading along the path at different walking speeds. Erik drifted back to walk beside her and observed everyone else alongside her.

"Thank you," he eventually blurted out.

Lucy looked at him startled. "What for?"

"For welcoming Macbeth and I. For helping everyone. For not allowing the past to drag you down. For being so strong and kind and forgiving. For everything." Erik said it rather quickly, as though he were embarrassed to be admitting something so… human.

Lucy regarded him a moment, eyes sad. "And I thank you for joining us. For allowing us to be a part of life. For giving yourself another chance. For giving me another chance."

Erik stared at her and reached with his magic into her soul. The music met him again, but as Erik pushed a little more, Lucy's soul seemed to take a deep breath in and relax. The music that was a constant barrier in her mind parted like the water before Moses and swallowed him.

Erik found himself wandering through a maze of thoughts and emotions. It was filled with explosions of colours and sparkles that represented her emotions. There were filing cabinets everywhere, untouched by the glitter and colour. Curiously, Erik opened one and flicked through the files that is contained. They were labeled things like, '7 Years old, birthday' and '7 years old, Mama's funeral.' Erik put the files back and closed the drawer. He found himself being drawn towards an area with dark, muted colours and no sparkles.

Once Erik entered the dark corner of Lucy's mind, he immediately felt a heavy weight drape across his shoulders, making him stumble. Erik grimaced and looked around. Whispers drifted around the space, echoing inside his head.

" _Aquarius trusted you, how could you do that" "It's all your fault, all your fault" "They must despise you, no wonder" "Spoiled brat" "Fucking dumbass princess." "Rich slut" "Weak" "Coward" "Stupid" "Untrustworthy" "Powerless" "Hopeless mage" "Weak bitch" "You let them all down" "Failure" "Murder" "You killed them all." "It's all your fault"_

The negative phrases swirled through Erik's head, making him drop to his knees. Unbidden a rush of images danced through his head, teasing him with glimpses of horrible images. A gold key shattering. Person after person dying before his eyes. Mutilated bodies lying, straightened as best as possible on the concrete. A man with fur and pointed ears. Another man with black hair and red eyes that sent shivers down Erik's spine.

There was a sense of the atmosphere tightening again and the musical barrier slammed into Erik driving him out of her head and back into the real world. There was a stinging sensation on his cheek. Lucy looked horrified.

"Oh no. I'm so sorry," she apologized frantically. "I just wanted you to know how glad I was that you joined, so I tried to open up a little to you, but you got sucked into my head and I didn't know what to do, so I tried to get you out and-" She cut herself off and took a deep breathe. "Are you alright Erik?" Lucy asked once she had calmed herself down.

Erik gingerly poked his cheekbone. He let out a whoosh of air, trying to reconcile his image of Lucy with the corner he knew resided in her soul. "I'll be fine. It's okay, I shouldn't have tried to poke around like that. How do you shut me out like that anyway?"

Lucy shrugged. "Just a technique I read about in a book and after hearing about Natsu's fight with you all those years ago, I tried to master it. Unfortunately, I was never sure if I had succeeded. I never met another mind-reader that I know of."

Erik was confounded. "You taught yourself, without anyone to tell if it worked, how to block out mindreaders? I'm impressed. The barrier you have up is nigh impenetrable. I don't think I could get through if you didn't let me."

Lucy smiled pleased. "Thank you. I worked hard. So what did you see?"

Erik met her eyes squarely and tuned into her soul to detect any shifts as he spoke. "You've got some serious shit going on in there, huh princess?"

Lucy's eyes shut down, but the music flowing through her surface didn't falter or change once. "I don't know what you're talking about. And please don't call me that."

Erik nodded. "Really impressive barrier. Well, if you ever need anyone to talk to, come to me. Wouldn't want to you to slit your wrists."

Lucy scoffed. "I wouldn't do something like that. I have too much I need to do yet."

Erik listened to her soul, sure enough a trickle of new sound entered the symphony, determination. "I believe you, but still."

Lucy nodded. "I appreciate the offer Erik."

"I CAN SEE A CITY!" came a cry from the first group. "DINNER MUST BE NEAR!" A cheer went up among the guild members, some a bit haggard after walking so far.

"I guess we better hurry up then," Lucy said to Erik.

He nodded and followed the blonde guild master as she surged ahead to catch up with her guild. Their guild, he corrected himself. He was now part of this incredible group of people.

 **A/N: So I'm going to end the chapter here. I think I made them walk unreasonably fast, but I don't want to spend too much time on travel. Some important steps were taken. I think I'll try to explore other characters in the next chapter, but I didn't have my notes on me, so I couldn't.**

 **Thanks for reading!**

 **Artistofthemind**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Here's the next chapter! I have so many ideas for this story that I just want to skip a bunch of time, but I'm not because plot development is a thing. Please have patience with me! This chapter is a bit shorter. I apologize in advance for typos and grammatical errors, I tried.**

 **Warning: Time has passed.**

 **All rights to Hiro Mashima!**

 **Chapter 4: A Well Deserved Break**

Lucy rose with the sun as she did every morning. Her tent mates grumbled as Lucy slid from the confines of her sleeping bag out into the open air. Virgo was waiting with a change of clothes and special breakfast drink as she always was nowadays. Six months on the road had changed Lucy in a lot of ways, many invisible to the casual observer, but others - such as her new level of physical fitness - were more obvious.

Lucy swiftly donned the new clothes and guzzled down the drink. Virgo took her pajamas and the empty glass back to the Spirit World with her. Lucy had no idea why her spirits were being so attentive all of a sudden. It was as if they were preparing Lucy for a big change. Lucy wondered if she would be able to get away with slacking off this morning when Capricorn popped into existence next to her, weights in his hands.

"Demon goat," Lucy grumbled good-naturedly as she strapped the weights on.

"It is for your own good, Miss Lucy," Capricorn said.

Lucy waved him off and stretched a little before setting off at a light jog. Capricorn easily kept pace with her. The two jogged for thirty minutes before Capricorn started her on intervals. Those lasted for twenty minutes before the ten minutes of cool down jogging and stretching. Next, were the strength exercises. Varying types of squats, lunges, push-ups, sit-ups, russian twists, and planks made up this section. Thirty second intervals for ten repetitions. Then came the hand-to-hand combat. Capricorn would instruct Lucy and Loke through couple drills and then have them spar, Lucy trying to incorporate the new techniques and old ones. Occasionally she was allowed to use her whip or a knife or brass knuckles, but today it was good old-fashioned fist fighting. Finally, Capricorn led Lucy through a cool down and thirty minute meditation to work on her magic.

Those were Lucy's mornings before anyone else woke up, unless they decided to train with her, though most did not. The guild members understood Lucy's drive to grow stronger, but many of them preferred to sleep as long as possible. There days were filled with hard travel and fighting - amongst themselves or with enemies. When Lucy was done with her workout, she bathed in the nearest body of water, Virgo supplying bathing things and clothes.

All of Lucy's clothes these days were from the Celestial Realm, as though Lucy's spirits were trying to be prepared in case they needed to suddenly yank Lucy in the Celestial Realm for some unknown reason. Sometimes, they provided clothes for her guild members too, but today was not one of those days.

Lucy returned to camp with Virgo to find Kagura making breakfast. It had been a treat to learn that the serious young woman was a skilled chef. Lucy and a few other girls could cook, but Kagura and Lisanna were by far the best, and so they usually took care of the meals.

"Good morning Lucy-san," Kagura greeted. "I made rice porridge for breakfast today. I hope it's to your liking."

"Thank you Kagura, everything you make is always delicious," Lucy took the bowl the woman handed her and sat by the fire. "And you don't need to use any honorifics. We're all part of the same guild now."

"But you are still my master," Kagura insisted, "that means I must show you a proper level of respect and since you will not let me use -sama, -san is the next best."

Lucy sighed and started on breakfast rather than argue with the woman. Kagura was incredibly stubborn, Lucy had found out, and very conservative. She despised swearing, any mentions of sexual activity, even kissing, had her red as a tomato. However, she was okay with revealing clothes, but Lucy thought that was just because Erza had loved to wear such things and Kagura idolized Erza.

Others began to drift from their tents, drawn by the delicious smells of breakfast. They all sleepily greeted Lucy and huddled around the fire to enjoy the porridge. Lucy watched satisfied as they had quiet conversations among themselves and were relatively calm. During the day, the arguing seemed to be endless. Someone was always doing something someone else took issue with, be it breathing weird, walking strange, or any other random thing. Lucy was honestly getting tired of it. That was why she loved mealtimes. They were usually quiet and calm.

Lucy wondered if everyone was getting restless from being on the road for so long, but really had no idea. They had just finished their tour of the north with not many problems. A few demons and monsters that needed subduing, a few dark guilds that needed eradicating, but other than that not much. Lucy could only pray that the south would be just as calm.

"When are we gonna get those stamps?" Cana plopped down next to Lucy with a second bowl of porridge.

"What?" Lucy looked at the other woman, startled for a moment at being knocked from her thoughts. "Oh, I don't know. Soon, I guess."

"I think we should do it today," Cana said abruptly. "We should stay here and spend the day resting and gathering the stamps. Everyone is tired from pushing forwards nearly everyday. That's why they're so cranky. It's nice here, so let's just rest for a couple of days, get all the stamps, and then we can head down south."

Lucy looked at the woman next to her, blinking in surprise. Cana's insight startled her, but it made Lucy realize that was what the problem was. "Good idea," Lucy said. "I'll make the announcement after breakfast. I think Virgo said there was a large hot spring nearby too that we could bathe in."

Cana grinned at her friend. "Awesome." Then her face became serious. "Look, Lu. I know you're worried for the future and you want to get out there and be all gungho and save the world from everything bad, but we're only eighteen people and a ghost. We can't save everyone. You need to let the new gen get some experience. We should only be taking care of the really bad or shady things. We aren't going to be here forever. Others need to learn how to take care of this world too. And we need to rest occasionally, we are only human."

Lucy sighed and relaxed into the hug Cana gave her. "I know," Lucy confessed in a soft, broken voice, "but I can't stop remembering those days. I can't help but think that I need to save everyone. That no one needs to get hurt ever again. I can't help, but feel that I need to keep moving, keep getting stronger in order to do what N-na-natsu, G-gray, E-er-erza, and everyone else would be doing. I'm only one person. We're only one guild. But I feel like we need to protect the whole world. We need to keep them safe."

Cana squeezed her friend, eyes watering at the revelation. It had never occurred to Cana that Lucy would still be hurting the most out of everyone. Lucy had been shining the brightest, the most cheery, confident, and happiest out of everyone in the guild. But Lucy had also been working the hardest, Cana realized. The standards that she set for her guild members were less than the standards Lucy set for herself and the young woman was struggling to fulfill them. Lucy rose hours before the sun each day to train with her spirits before breakfast. During the day, she often wore weights to help build her strength faster. Any extra rest time when there was no threat of attack Lucy spent meditating. Any time, any place that Lucy had free time, she was always doing something to keep moving forwards. Lucy had been trying to protect everyone, Cana realized. Lucy was preparing for the eventuality that she would be all alone and all that was standing between the world and total destruction.

"You are not alone," Cana said firmly. "As long as I am alive and even when I am dead, I will be standing by your side supporting you. Let's take four days off at least. You can keep training, I know I wouldn't be able to stop you if I tried, but let everyone else rest and catch up to themselves before we start to move forwards again. We need to take baby steps right now. We are only just starting. We don't have our masters to look to for wisdom anymore. We only have you and Mavis to guide us when we lose our paths and that's going to be hard for many people to come to terms with, no matter how much they push themselves."

Lucy nodded. "Okay," she agreed, "okay."

After breakfast was finished and the dishes washed and bundled away, Lucy stood in front of the fire and addressed everyone. "It has come to my attention that we are all a little tired from our sudden journey and endless traveling. For the next five to six days, maybe more, we'll be resting here and gathering the rest of the stamps from the guilds. The time is yours to do with as you wish, as long as no laws are broken and you don't harm anyone outside the guild." There were a few chuckles at that. "Now, Mest and Rogue, come meet me in the strategy tent. We're getting Sabertooth's stamp. Everyone else is dismissed."

There was cheering and the members dispersed, slightly unsure of what to do with their newly gained free time. Mest, Lucy, and Rogue convened in the tent that was filled with the maps and charts. It was the strategy tent and Lucy had it set up every time they stopped, just in case.

"So, Rogue, where is Sabertooth's headquarters?" Lucy asked the instant the flap of the tent closed.

"Crocus, on the north-north west side of city," Rogue replied immediately, pointing to a spot on the map of the capital city.

Lucy stuck a black pin in the spot he'd indicated. "Alright," she turned to Mest. "Can you get that this morning?"

He considered the map of the whole country. "Where would you say we are right about now?"

Lucy brushed her fingers over Pyxis's key, silently asking him for their location. Lucy stuck a purple pin in the map at the spot Pyxis directed her to. "Here, exactly."

Mest looked at the map a moment more. "Yes," he finally said. "I'll be dead tired when I get back, but I can do it. I'm assuming you're going to want me to go to the other guilds on the other days."

Lucy nodded. "We'll stay as long as you need and travel closer to the other guild halls if you can't reach them from here, but yes that was the idea."

Mest deliberated a minute. "I can do it. I have a rough idea of where every guild is that I'm going to have to visit. As long as you and the guild have no problem lending me energy and raw magic energy through the bond, then I can manage no problem. But I can only do one guild a day, and I'll need an extra day to rest."

Lucy nodded. "Thought so, it's fine. We need a break from traveling anyways." She giggled as she realized that Mest wouldn't really be getting one. "We can stay a few extra days if you want a real break from traveling."

"It's fine, Lucy," Mest assured her with an easy grin. "Now, Rogue, what does the office look like?"

* * *

Mest did one last final hop from the edges of the capital into the office of the headquarters of Sabertooth. To his relief there was no one in the office, but he could sense the presence of many mages in the building. Mest quickly began to riffle through the drawers until he found the stamp. He thanked the heavens that the office had not been emptied yet. His mission would have gotten a whole lot more complicated if it had been.

Steps pounded up the stairs as Mest finished the calling card Lucy had asked him to leave, knowing that Sabertooth was going to be disbanded, the few members that were left not caring enough to try and hold the guild together. Figures burst into the room just as Mest disappeared in a flash. They stared in shock in the place where he'd been standing just seconds earlier before noticing the note on the desk and graffiti on the wall behind it.

There was the legendary Fairy Tail symbol in a bright yellow that stood out against the dark purple walls. One of the figures approached the desk and picked up the piece of paper almost reverently.

"Greetings young mages. I hope this note finds you well. Despite being disbanded, Sabertooth will live on in the hearts and on the skin of the last survivors of the Great War. Do not hold on to the past, seek out new guilds and new friends. Good luck younglings, carry yourselves with dignity and walk your paths with an open mind, a big heart, and a strong will. Take care on your adventures, the Master of Fairy Tail," the young mage who had picked up the note read.

"What?!" his disbelieving companion leapt forwards and snatched the note from her shaking hands.

"We're safe," she whispered sinking to her knees. "Fairy Tail will protect us all as we grow. I'm sure of it. There's no need for us to be afraid, we're safe!"

The boy looked down at his companion. "You're right. We should gather the team and report this to the guild! And the Magic Council! Maybe even the king!" He grabbed her hand and dragged her to her feet. "Come on! We've got our own adventure waiting for us! The Master of Fairy Tail said so!"

* * *

Mest was ready to collapse by the time he managed to get back to the camp of Fairy Tail. Luckily, Lisanna and Wendy were on standby in the strategy tent and caught him when he materialized. Wendy began to restore his magic levels best she could while Lisanna got him to drink some water and eat a little bit. Once Mest had been helped as much as Wendy and Lisanna could help him, Gajeel hefted him up and carried him to his tent.

Lucy thanked him as he passed her and gave her the stamp. Mest would get his stamp later, after a nap. The rest of the guild gathered at the fire pit to get theirs. Lucy smiled at her guild as they examined their newest stamps. Fairy Tail was coming together. The minds and hearts of the new members were joining and starting to function on the same wavelength. Every new stamp that was added would only strengthen those ties, Lucy knew. Because those who were not originally of Fairy Tail would feel as though they belonged more, and more connected with the original members of Fairy Tail and members of other guilds.

* * *

Five days later, Mest had finally retrieved all the stamps and Lucy had worked with Mavis to craft a new Cait Shelter stamp. Fairy Tail reclined before the fire, eyes on Lucy.

"Today," Lucy started, "we are celebrating our true joining as a guild. We all now possess all of the stamps. It is now that I would like to take a moment to thank each and everyone of you for the outstanding service you have given to Fairy Tail and to this country in this last six months. I hope that you continue to put forth such exemplary work in the future. Thank you for deciding to stick with me. Now, the day after tomorrow we are going to hit the road again and head south.

"If at this point in time any of you would like to head back to the guild hall to rest for another week or so, please come talk to me before we break camp."

The guild cheered. Dinner was soon served and the members relaxed around the fire, chattering and eating, basking in the peace and company of their friends. None of them went to talk to Lucy who was sitting at the edge of the group watching everyone with a satisfied smile. Macbeth slid onto the log next to her, a bowl of soup clutched in his hands.

"Hello Macbeth," Lucy greeted softly.

"Lucy-san," Macbeth yawned.

"Come now," she chided gently, "I thought we'd moved past honorifics."

Macbeth shrugged and took a sip of his soup. "S'pose so," he mumbled.

"What brought you to my little corner of the universe?" Lucy asked after a couple of quiet minutes.

"I wanted to know what you thought," he replied, waking up a little.

"What I think about?" Lucy prompted when he drifted off to wonderland for a couple of minutes.

"Gajeel."

Lucy stared at the quiet, tired mage sitting next to her. "You want to know what I think about G-g-gajeel?!" she exclaimed, barely managing to keep her voice down.

"Yes," Macbeth nodded. "Though Erik and I occasionally question your sanity, you seem like a fairly reasonable person and you know that man rather well I assume."

"Well, yes," Lucy said faintly, trying to wrap her mind around the idea that Macbeth liked Gajeel of all people. "I suppose I would after being in the same guild as him for so long."

"So?" Macbeth inquired, looking the most alert Lucy had ever seen him at dusk.

"I think," Lucy paused to give the thought serious consideration. "I think that despite his faults, he's a great guy. Or rather, it's his faults that make him so endearing."

Macbeth nodded and sagged into Lucy's side, eyes drooping. Lucy grabbed the bowl from his limp hands and stared into the fire. A soft snore came from the man leaning on her. Lucy let a smile curve across her mouth as she watched her guild members. The ruckus had died down as the night wore on. People were lounging around the fire wrapped in their cloaks and leaning on each other, chatting softly and drifting off to sleep. Cana was right. Fairy Tail needed this rest. Maybe Lucy had been pushing everyone too hard. Maybe she'd been pushing herself too hard. Maybe… but before she could finish her thought, Lucy's world faded to black as sleep sunk its claws into her.

* * *

 **A/N: Finally finished. This chapter is a bit shorter. I think. The next one will be coming as soon as I can finish it. Which will hopefully be sooner rather than later due to my forced inactivity due to my broken fibula.**

 **Thanks,**

 **Artistofthemind**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Okay, seeing how far I can get with this story before I'm swallowed by the black hole that is my life. It's too late, I'm being swallowed. Curse my broken leg! Please excuse any typos, I have no beta.**

 **All rights to Hiro Mashima.**

 **Chapter 5: Teaching a Lesson, Learning a Fact**

"LUCY!" Lisanna came dashing into the office Lucy had set up in Fairy Hills.

"Yes Lisanna?" Lucy asked, not looking up from the papers on her desk.

"The Magic Council sent another representative to town to poke around," Lisanna reported. "We also got more letters from them warning us to report to them."

"What reason do they have to believe that we still exist?" Lucy wondered, flipped through a stack of files.

"Apparently their street agents caught wind of us on our tour and started bothering the mayor a couple of months before we came home. He tried to set them off our trail as best he could, but you know how persistent they can get." Lisanna rolled her eyes.

"I do unfortunately." Lucy stood and stretched. "Alright, what do they want now?"

Lisanna followed Lucy from the office and downstairs. "What they've always wanted. For Fairy Tail to report to them and inform them all about the guild and our members."

Lucy sighed. "I'll go send away the man in town with plenty of information for that stupid, stuck-up council."

"Thank you Lucy," Lisanna chirped. "I'll inform the mayor that you're on your way and not too happy."

Lucy grinned maliciously. "I would appreciate it Lis. Now if you'll excuse me, I'll be going."

"Have fun!" Lisanna called as Lucy swung on her cloak and headed into town.

Cana appeared in the foyer a moment later with a bottle. "Who's she gonna terrorize now?"

Lisanna shrugged. "Some Council frog is poking around town where they don't belong. I guess Lucy took offence."

Cana smirked and raised her bottle. "Good thinkin' Lis. She needed to go burn some gas. Lu's been stewing locked up in here planning our next 'big move'. She's been getting letters from all these people too. Guild people."

Lisanna linked arms with Cana and they headed towards the living room where most of the guild was relaxing. The members that weren't out terrorizing the town or training at least.

"Hey guys, guess who just went into town to track down the toadie from the Council," Cana announced when they entered. Everyone looked up from their varied activities with interest.

"The Council is back again?" Freed groaned, massaging his temples. "Oh dear Mavis. I hope Lucy-san has not caught wind of…" he trailed off at the gleeful looks on Lisanna's and Cana's faces and paled. "No. No. No, no, no, no, noooo! Please don't tell me…"

"'Fraid so," Lisanna shrugged unapologetically at her boyfriend. "She was too tense. All that energy building and spoiling for a good fight. What was I supposed to do? Not tell her?"

"Yes!" Freed cried in horror. "Now she's going to ruin all of our hard work! I need to stop her before it's too late!" And with that he took off, running out of the guild and towards town, Wendy on his heels in case anyone was injured.

Lisanna watched her boyfriend go with ill concealed amusement. Cana snorted beside her.

"That wasn't very nice," someone drawled from the big recliner.

"But it was funny," Lisanna snickered. "And you know it Erik."

"I wonder if Bright Eyes will find the toad before Freed finds her," the poison dragon slayer mused.

"I don't know about you, but I'm rooting for Lu," Meredy said. "What she did to the last lackey that got on her bad side? Priceless!"

Cana guffawed at the memory. "The poor toad crapped in his pants!"

Erik rose and stretched. "Well," he said casually, "I'm gonna go take a peek in town and check out the situation."

Macbeth snickered. "More you're gonna watch you girlfriend beat up some defenseless twat that most certainly does not deserve everything Lucy is going to do to it."

Erik just grinned at his best friend and swung on his cloak. The rest stood and wished him luck. They were all tempted to head into town, but too many guild members would give the council too much information that they could not get their hands on. Erik sprinted down the path into town, eager to get there before he missed all the action. Freed was a speck on the path ahead of him, utilizing his runes to move faster.

Erik reached town just half a minute behind Freed and followed the faint strains of Lucy's soul to the site of conflict. His girlfriend had already found the toad and was gearing for a big fight. The toad sounded terrified for his life and was attempting to placate the irate guild master whose identity he was trying to confirm while simultaneously attempting to save his own miserable existence. Erik snorted and settled into a dark corner to watch the show, wishing that he had had the forethought to bring snacks with him.

Freed burst into the square just before Lucy went for the toad. Erik snickered as Freed struggled to keep Lucy pinned and avoid her flailing limbs. Sometimes when she got too worked up, Lucy forgot all her training on escaping from holds. The toad had scrambled back and was shouting threats.

"The Magic Council will figure out what they want to know!" the poor thing cried, quaking in its shoes. "They will not be disobeyed by some pitiful guild stuck in the shadows running from every Council member whose paths they cross!"

"We don't run from you!" Lucy roared furiously. "You run from us and your masters will rue the day they ever tried to cross Fairy Tail! Now go back to your useless bureaucrats and tell them to stuff it until they can be useful and help save the world instead of destroy it!"

The toad cowered, turned tail, and ran just as a burst of magic exploded in the spot it'd just been standing in. Erik couldn't restrain the belly-bursting laughter that exploded from his gut at the thoughts running through the poor toad's head. No doubt the next visitors from the Magic Council would be a little more powerful, larger in number, and quite irritated. But Fairy Tail would be able to handle that when the time came. After all, their powers were still a secret from the Magic Council, but the Magic Council's powers were known to all, especially soul readers.

Freed released his guild master when he was sure that she would not chase after the Council underling. "Lucy-san, what were you thinking?" he scolded.

Lucy looked up at him and stuck out her tongue. "I was thinking that I was bored and sick of the Council. I was thinking that I finally have everything in place to win against the Council thanks to all of you."

"Win against the Council?" Freed was flabbergasted.

Curious, Erik came out from his hiding spot and joined the two in the center of the square. "What have you got under your sleeve Bright Eyes?"

Lucy looked at both of them, eyes glittering in the shadow of her hood. "Nothing you need to worry about. Yet. It'll be a while before the Council issues their next challenge. We should have a couple months to ourselves." With that declaration, Lucy turned back towards the guild. "But nevermind that. Why don't we go check the drop point while we're in town. Maybe there's a good mission that I can take."

Freed stood frozen as Lucy pranced off towards the grave. Erik patted him sympathetically on the shoulder and rushed to catch up with his girlfriend. The Rune mage caught up with them at the grave, no doubt to make sure that Lucy didn't rush off into the sunset with a mission and a harebrained scheme to storm the Magic Council headquarters in Era. Which Erik was totally for and may or may not have heavily suggested was the best course of action.

Lucy collected the missions left on the grave and shuffled through them. Many were search and rescue, a few were specialized according the few magics known to be possessed or hoped to be possessed by Fairy Tail mages, and there were a couple monster missions. None appealed to Lucy. She wouldn't be allowed to go on a rampage on any of these missions, all the monster ones were in high risk areas. Lucy would have to carefully select which teams she trusted to go where. Once again, she'd be stuck at the headquarters shuffling papers. Although, she _could_ work on her master plan. If she were to get in contact with some of those people while her guild hall was empty, then…

"Lucy-san!" Freed finally caught her attention. Lucy set aside her planning for now.

"Sorry Freed, I was just considering who I wanted to send where. Some of these missions will require a certain delicacy that Fairy Tail was always been known to lack." Lucy giggled mischievously. "I'm going to have to send everyone out this week. These are all time sensitive."

"Will you be going out as well?" Freed asked worriedly.

Lucy shrugged. "I have a few errands I'd like to run, but we'll see."

"Hey Freed, I think we're gonna get to go visit one of those big, old libraries you're always blathering on about," Erik cut in, waving a piece of paper he'd filched from Lucy's stack.

Freed's eyes lit up. "Indeed? How wonderful. You don't suppose they would have any books on ancient magic ceremonies? I've been reading up on them lately and they are quite fascinating. I was quite put out to discover Master Makarov only owned a few volumes on them."

Erik shrugged and patted his teammate on the shoulder, steering him towards the guild. "I don't know mate, why don't we go find out."

He gave Lucy the stink eye as he passed her and Lucy sent him a thank you loud and clear. Freed could get too nosey at times and Lucy really didn't want anyone learning her plans ahead of time. It would ruin the surprise. Erik frowned at her and Lucy immediately tightened her mental barriers and cut off that train of thought before he could get anymore.

"Well you two make sure you grab Carla before you leave and have lots of fun!" Lucy said cheerily. "I'm going to pay my respects and I'll be right behind you."

The two waved their acknowledgement and headed down the concealed path towards the guild hall. Lucy knelt in front of the grave, head bowed. The papers were tucked safely inside her cloak for protection. Lucy stayed in the front of the grave for a few minutes before rising and heading around to the side where the names of her nearest and dearest friends were inscribed. There was a puff of sparks next to her and Loke appeared with a bouquet of flowers. He handed it to her.

"From all of us for you for them," he said solemnly.

Lucy took them with a silent nod of thanks. Loke had been down since the death of his closest human friend besides Lucy. Gray had been Loke's brother while the Lion had been a member of Fairy Tail. Loke could talk to Gray about things that Lucy would not be able to understand. Lucy and Loke both knelt, Lucy laying the flowers on the stone platform littered with flowers in all states of decomposition.

"I'm sorry Loke," Lucy whispered.

"Leo, please, mistress," Loke replied in a choked voice. "I'd like to be Leo once more."

"As long as I'm still allowed to be Lucy not mistress," Lucy said, halfheartedly joking.

"Of course Lucy," Loke said quietly, "of course."

"Thank you, Leo," Lucy whispered.

It might have already been more than year since the end of the Great War, but people were still changing and adapting to the sudden loss and newly gained powers. Lucy herself was still settling into her role as guild master and adjusting to the new powers she'd gained from the celestial realm. Now she could clearly see that the war had affected her spirits just as much as it had affected her. Lucy had forgotten that during her years in Fairy Tail, and even before then, her spirits had made friends with other mages on the earth and lost those precious people. Lucy mentally berated herself for such forgetfulness.

A hand landed on Lucy's shoulder, knocking her from her detrimental thoughts. "Thank you so much Lucy," Leo said sincerely. Lucy noticed that his sunglasses were gone. Loke was gone. "You have no idea how much you have helped us, helped the guild, helped the world. Thank you for all that you have done, all that you still do, and all that you will do."

Lucy stared up at her lion spirit in shock. Tears gathered in the corners of her eyes and Lucy made no effort to stop them from rolling down her face and dripping onto the ground. Leo gave her an affectionate smile and ruffled her hair gently. Lucy bit her lip and gave a small nod, not able to speak around the lump in her throat. She turned her eyes back to the grave, tears blurring the names, but not the faces that smiled at her from her imagination. It was always extraordinarily difficult for Lucy to come to the grave and face the result of actions, or rather the result of the actions that Lucy did not take, was not allowed to take. Everyday when Lucy woke to the sun and the sound of the world moving forever forwards, she regretted all the lives that she could not save. Everyday that Lucy faced her guild members, every time she was forced to confront their grief, a little piece of her died in guilt at the knowledge that this was all her fault.

"It's not your fault."

Lucy whirled around in shock, tugging her hood back up around her gold tresses. Kagura was standing there, cloak snapping in the wind, hood pushed back. "W-what?" Lucy choked out. Leo took a step back, gave a short bow to the two women and disappeared.

The stoic swordswoman took a couple of steps forwards so that she could sit next to Lucy on the steps of the grave. "It is not your fault that these good people sacrificed their lives."

Lucy gave a disbelieving, watery chuckle. "No, it is. You don't understand. I could have prevented all this loss. I could have saved our land from the war that ravaged it and destroyed thousands of lives. We didn't just lose mages, we lost civilians, soldiers, and many good people. Not all from this country either."

Kagura leaned back on her elbows and looked up at the sky where the sun was hovering a few inches from the horizon. Lucy had never seen the normally formal and stiff swordswoman in such a relaxed pose. "I know that everyone who gave their life for the war, whichever country they fought for, did so gladly. They truly believed in what they defended. Every mage who gave their life saved another, and all of them loved you dearly, even if you cannot believe that.

"I know when my brother gave his life for Erza, he did so hoping that she would live a fruitful life and save countless others as she saved him. I know that I was consumed with rage at the news of my brother's death, so much so that I vowed to kill the man I believed to have done the job. But to learn that my brother freely gave his life to save another's? How could I take any life in vengeance for such a selfless act?

"Lucy-san, you must not let guilt and grief consume you. You are stronger than that. Fairy Tail knows that. That is why we all follow you. Because you are our guiding star in these dark, uncertain times. We look to you for strength in our weakest hour. We seek your wisdom when our own has run out. We fight to protect you because without you we would be lost, hopeless, and we would die. I know we would because we were all half way there until you pulled us from our stupor and gave us a purpose again.

"Lucy, we love you. We are thankful for you. Every time the sun rises and every time we see the stars, we give thanks that you survived. We give thanks that we are blessed enough to be part of your guild and your sworn. Someday you will realize just how strong you are and how wrong you are. It is not your fault; it will never be your fault. How can it when these lives were freely given for your own out of choice, even knowing that sacrificing you alone would end the war before it could start?

"Thank you Lucy. Thank you so much for living and for choosing us, for choosing me, to follow you and to aid you. Thank you for giving me a purpose in this world where I believe there was nothing left for me. Thank you Lucy. I hope you will someday come to understand just how much your actions mean to us all."

Lucy was curled forwards, arms tucked tightly against her chest, clinging to the tiny sword hanging from a silver chain and the white scaly scarf wrapped securely around her neck. Her body convulsed with silent sobs and screams. Those words, Kagura's convictions, they were exactly what Lucy needed to hear in order to counteract the poisonous thoughts building in her mind. Kagura sat next to her, silent until Lucy could cease her crying and speak again.

"Thank you," Lucy finally managed. "Thank you for having such strong faith in me when I am not deserving of your faith. Thank you for choosing to stay and to follow me when I am not deserving of your aid. Thank you for loving me when I am not deserving of your love."

Kagura gave Lucy a small, sad smile as though she understood some terrible secret Lucy had. "You are worthy," she said definitively. "You will see that soon."

Lucy only gave a faint huff of a laugh and shook her head, eyes glued to the grave once more, but said nothing more. The two sat there until the sky turned orange, pink, purple, and red. Only then did Lucy stir and rise to her feet. Kagura followed, and the two headed back to the guild. Lucy's head was cleared and she'd realized what the next step must be for Fairy Tail if they wanted to survive. They were going to have to deal with the Council. Permanently.

* * *

 **A/N: Okay, finally finished the fifth chapter. That only took forever and a half. I hope I can deliver a 6th one in a reasonable amount of time. A million hugs and kisses to my readers/reviewers/favoriters/followers! You guys rock!**

 **Thank you,  
Artistofthemind**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: So here's the next chapter. I'm doing my best to stay afloat in school and still update, so I apologize for the sporadic updates.**

 **I'm sorry in advance for any grammar errors, I have no beta.**

 **All rights to Hiro Mashima.**

 **Chapter 6: Thickening of the Plot**

Lucy stood on the cliff overlooking the lake by Fairy Tail. They had finally been able to stop calling Fairy Hills, Fairy Hills in the last month and it had officially become Fairy Tail, their guild hall. Lucy was alone at the guild today. Yesterday, everyone else had departed on their missions. Missives had been sent to her allies as soon as the guild members were out of sight. There was going to be a conference tomorrow in Oak Town, since there was no longer a resident guild and as such it was a relatively neutral zone to meet.

The lacrima in her pocket lit up and she pulled it out. "Yes?" Lucy responded, hood shadowing her features.

"Ah, Master Fairy," Lucy winced at the unfortunate name, "I'm glad I got ahold of you."

"Is something amiss, Master Serena?" Lucy asked.

"We've received word from the majority of the guilds we contacted," the older woman reported. "They have all given us their support. It seems that many more are sick of the Magic Council than I had anticipated and we no longer have enough space for all the guests."

Lucy pondered this. It was a bit of a dilemma. The more guilds that were present at the meeting, the more strength the campaign possessed. "The younger guild masters will just have to set up camp. The hall we're meeting in is plenty large."

Serena looked relieved at Lucy's suggestion. "I'm glad you suggested so. I would have, but then there would be more resentment. If it comes from you, Master Fairy, who was already planning on sleeping outside, than more will respect it and be willing to sleep outside."

Lucy nodded, an unseen smile gracing her mouth. "I am glad to be of assistance. Thank you for organizing everything."

Serena shook her head and smiled. "No, thank you for agreeing to support our movement. It has led more gravity to the situation."

"Indeed," Lucy said and cut the connection.

On the other end of the line, Serena stared at the dull orb in her hands, a sneer twisting her upper lip. A figure swathed in black robes stepped out of the shadows, fabric swirling around their ankles.

"What a bitch," Serena scoffed. "Thinkin' she owns the world just because she survived some stupid war."

"Yes," the shadowed figure rasped in a deep, growly voice. "Do you remember the details of the plan?"

Serena snorted. "How could I not? It's fucking brilliant."

The figure waited in silence. Serena darted a glance at him, licking her lips before continuing. "Once the conference starts, call the Master of Fairy Tail over with a false problem. Get her alone in the private meeting room where you and your associates will be waiting. You knock her out and take her, then the Rune Knights swarm and all the uppity guild masters and put everyone in their place," she recited dully. "I still don't see why you won't give her to me once you're done. I'd love to experiment with her."  
"Very good," the figure rasped. "Don't you forget it. We'll be ready for you."

Serena watched as the stranger stepped back into the shadows, robes swirling, and disappeared into the shadows. She found it creepy that he could just melt into the shadows like that, always appearing and disappearing without a sound. But he was providing her a chance to get on top. Something that Serena had been waiting for ever since the war between Fairy Tail and Alvarez broke out nearly two years ago. Somehow, a fragment of the greatest guilds had survived and formed under a new guild master as Fairy Tail. That damned guild would never stop overshadowing Serena.

Ever since she was young, Serena had despised Fairy Tail. Some Fairy Tail mages had destroyed half her village trying to slay a demon. They hadn't help to rebuild, or to stop and make sure that the innocent villagers were alright. Ever since, Serena had made it her mission to destroy the guild and overtake them with her own. She'd joined a small guild with a lot of potential. Years of hard work had led to her securing her place as guild master. Once there, Serena had started to build up the strength of her guild members. From there, she'd done her best to overtake Fairy Tail, at first by legal means, then by anyway possible. And it hadn't worked. Serena growled and stomped to her rooms above the guild where she lived.

* * *

Gajeel, Romeo, and Meredy knelt before Lucy, their black cloaks fanned out on the ground behind them. Lucy glanced back at them from her place by the window.

"Well?" she inquired.

"It is as you suspected," Gajeel reported. "The woman, Serena is being manipulated by someone from Kasmaan. I was able to capture him and take his place, though he is not talking."

"Where are you holding him?" Lucy inquired.  
"In our safe house outside the city," Romeo said.

"And you took the proper precautions so that he cannot take his own life before we can get what we need from him?" Lucy checked.

"We did, Master," Meredy said.

"Very good," Lucy turned to face them. "I want you to keep monitoring the situation. Gajeel you will check up on Serena routinely, follow her in the shadows for as long as possible. Meredy and Romeo, stay nearby in case he needs help. Meredy, you should establish a link between all of you so that you can instantly alert each other in case of emergency.

"We are going to try and keep Serena from raising the alarm. We want to destroy this operation before it is carried out and catch the culprits, not let them get away because their suspicions were raised."

"How will we do that if our captive doesn't contact his guild?" Romeo asked, and immediately wished he didn't when a malicious smile spread across Lucy's face.

"Oh, don't worry about that. I'll take care of him," she purred. "Now, any other questions?"

The three mages shook their head. "Alright. I want weekly reports, unless you learn a crucial piece of information. We'll work on the man you captured here and I'll rely anything necessary to you. If your lives become endangered, come home. We don't need to lose anyone else and just knowing about the attack will allow us to take precautions. Understood?"

"Yes Master," they bowed their heads, fists over their hearts.

Lucy watched her members take off in a swirl of shadows and static. A wave of grief enveloped her as she watched her friends and family treat her as though she were a god. Lucy fingered the objects that she always wore as a reminder of what the world had stolen from her, as a reminder of all the family that she had lost. She vowed, once more, that she would not lose anyone else, that she would annihilate those who tried to take her family, tried to hurt them.

Calmer, Lucy turned pick up her communications lacrima and powered it, sending a call to Team Flight (consisting of Wendy, Mest, and Rogue). Mest picked up the call.

"Hey, Lucy!" he smiled at her.

"Hi Mest," Lucy smiled back. She loved how laid back the Direct Line Mage was.

He turned to glance behind himself, then shrieked and Lucy saw the orb go black for a moment before Mest reappeared in a different location. He flushed and smiled sheepishly at her. "Sorry, Wendy and Rogue decided to do a little bit of training with their new powers before we headed home and they don't always remember that I'm there when they really get into it."

Lucy giggled. "No worries. I was wondering when you all were going to be home. I have something I would like you to assist with."

"When do you need us?" Mest asked, suddenly serious.

Lucy sobered as well. "The sooner the better. Our future depends on what we can do."

Mest nodded. "I'll go let the beasts know and we should be back within the hour."

Lucy nodded and the lacrima went dark, this time not lighting up again as Mest arrived back at the clearing in which Wendy and Rogue were sparring. The older mage stood and watched his two team mates go at it, both half in Dragon Force. It had taken a lot of training and research to learn about and attain partial Dragon Force. Both Wendy and Rogue were constantly training to see to what extent they could draw on their draconic nature and powers before they feel completely to either side. He was amazed by their dedication to the task, and understood their determination.

But now, now their Sworn needed them and Mest had to face the dragons, literally. He'd hoped they'd have fallen out of the trance by now, but of course, he wasn't that lucky.

Taking a deep breath, Mest let out the loudest shout he could. The two stopped in their tracks, instinctively turning to face him, flinching as their sensitive ears rang from the sound.

"Time to go you two," Mest continued in more normal tones. "Lucy needs us."

Wendy and Rogue took a moment to process what he'd said. They nodded and straightened from their crouches, the partial Dragon Force melting as they did so.

"We just need to pack up camp," Rogue said.

"Let's hurry," Wendy called, already halfway to their camp set up a little ways away.

The two men scrambled to assist her in tearing down the camp and erasing all signs of their presence in the woods. Once all the baggage had been distributed, Mest wrapped his arms around their shoulders and off they were. It took three jumps to get back to the guild. A total of ten minutes, as Mest had needed a short five minute break after each jump to recover before the next one.

Lucy was waiting for them outside the guild. "Go drop your bags and change into something… menacing."

The three mages were intrigued as they saw her normally delicate, kind features twist into something cold, hard, and terrifying. Her normal outfit had been replaced by something black and red. She still wore Erza's gauntlet, Natsu's scarf, and Gray's necklace, but Laxus's coat, and Evergreen's fan were gone. Bickslow's mask was on the side of her head, glinting ominously in the sunlight. A billowing black cloak and black, leather boots completed the outfit. All in all, it was seriously badass and petrifying.

"Sure thing," Mest grinned. He adored playing bad guy.

The three scampered off. When they returned, Lucy knew she'd picked the right team. Mest was in all black, his muscles clearly showing, and his scar standing out more on his tan skin. Rogue had donned a sort of kimono in black with a gray undershirt and an overcoat with one sleeve and white detailing that fell to the bottom of the kimono. A strip of black cloth was tied around his waist holding everything in place, a piece of white fabric with black detailing sticking out about eight inches from the bottom. Wendy looked perfect devilish in black, thigh high socks, black booties, a black shirt with a white strip, and a black blazer with cutouts and red detailed. Her hair was hanging loose with a single braid tied off with a black ribbon.

"Let's go," Lucy smiled. "Mest, take us to the safe house outside of town."

In the next instant, the four of them stood before the door. Lucy turned to face her guild members. "Now, this man is a member of Kasmaan, so we'll have to work hard to scare him, but I have confidence in his skills. Wendy, Rogue, I'm not sure if Mest told you, but our future is depending on how much we can wring out of him. I'm counting on you all."

"Roger that," Mest said, saluting. The others rolled their eyes and Lucy opened to door to the small cabin.

Lucy led the way inside to a small room where a man in his boxers was chained to the wall, a gag filling his mouth so he couldn't bite off his tongue. Magic suppressing restraints secure each limb and a length of magic cancelling rope was wound around each limb of his body and his torso. The man's eyes opened as the four of them entered the room, the door shutting behind them. Lucy lit the candles in the room and turned to face the man.

The wavering light intensified the slightly off-kilter smile on Lucy's face. She saw the first flicker of fear in his eyes and the malicious glee inside of her swelled. "Wendy?" Lucy nodded towards the man.

The teen nodded, an unbalanced smile of her own forming, showing off her glistening fangs as she called on partial Dragon Force to elongate her incisors and give her eyes a slight cast of pink so that they seemed to glow in the dim light. The man chained to the wall flinched slightly as she strolled towards him, head tilting slightly, nostrils flaring to his sudden rush of endorphins as her approach. _Prey_ , Wendy's inner dragon whispered, tail twitching in anticipation.

 _Settle down_ , Wendy ordered it, plucking the gag from the man's mouth. She skipped back to Lucy's side and leaned into the older woman's side. Lucy absently patted the young dragon's head, unintentionally sending shivers down her poor captive's spine at the sight of the small devil apparently tamed by the older one.

"So," Lucy's voice broke the stifling silence of the room, causing the man to jump a little. "Tell me about yourself."

The man just shook his head. Lucy's grin grew. "No? Very well, I'll tell you what _I_ know first, then you can tell me what _you_ know. Sound good?" She didn't wait for his reply. "I know that you are a member of Kasmaan, the dark guild working to resurrect Zeref. I know that you and your guild are manipulating Serena through her hatred of Fairy Tail. I know that you are not too high up in the ranks of your guild, but you aren't the bottom either. I know your guild is planning to attack me and the rest of the guild masters at the conference we'll be holding in eleven days, disguised as Rune Knights. Now tell me what I don't know."

The man paled more and more with each word that fell from her mouth. "Who," he croaked. "Who are you?"

Lucy's smile became maniacal and devilish. "I am the Master of Fairy Tail and you will not take anymore of my family from me. Tell me what I don't know."

The blood rushed from his head. His master had told him to be wary of Fairy Tail. He'd said that they were like cockroaches, everywhere and difficult to get rid of. His master had said though, that since the old geezer wasn't part of the guild, they'd finally be able to crush it easily. He'd said they were powerless, and if they were truly equal to the Fairy Tail before the Great War, they'd have come to destroy Kasmaan already. His master had said be careful, but don't worry because Fairy Tail wasn't a threat anymore. His master had been very, very wrong.

"Y-you're Fairy Tail?" he whispered, horrified. But wasn't Fairy Tail supposed to be a light guild? These two were more terrifying than any dark mages he'd ever met.

"I am," Lucy said. Her eyes started to glow a brilliant gold. "Now, tell me, who is your master? Where are your headquarters? How many members do you have total, counting affiliated guilds? What are your affiliated guilds? Tell me everything."

"I can't," he said. "My master would kill me."

Two men stepped out of the shadows that he hadn't noticed before. One had the glowing red eyes of a devil, a scar across his nose, and hair that was half white, half black. The other, taller with defined muscles, had a large scar with two crossing scars across the side of his face, and his blue eyes glimmered in the candle light, as cold and merciless as ice.

"We recommend you tell the lady what she wants to know," the larger, bulkier man said.

"Otherwise you'll face something much, much worse than death," the red-eyed man promised, hand resting casually on the hilt of his sword.

He looked at the two men, the two women, and felt only dread and terror. There was no hope for him, or his guild if this was the new Fairy Tail. It was as though they had nothing left to lose, but yet, everything to lose.

"I-i can't," he protested weakly.

As soon as the words left his lips, he regretted it. The wind pick up in the room, shadows started to curl around the smaller man and he slid his blade out of the sheath a little bit with an ominous rasping sound. Gold light crackled on the skin of the Master of Fairy Tail. The icy-eyed man took a step forwards, menacing smile twisting his scar grotesquely.

"A-alright, alright!" he shrieked, sure he was going to be in a world of hurt if he kept quiet. "I'll tell you everything! Just don't hurt me!"

"Good," Lucy purred and the others immediately backed off, magic dying out.

"My name is Farid," he sighed, sagging against the wall in relief. "I joined Kasmaan when I was sixteen years old."

* * *

 **A/N: And I finished another chapter! If you are confused about anything, just let me know and I'll my best to clear it up! I'm gonna go fail my AP tests now because I wrote this for yall instead of studying.  
Thank you for reading!**

 **Artistofthemind**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Here's the next chapter. I had hoped to finish this before going to Europe, but sadly I didn't. Sorry for my sporadic updates. I hope you all enjoy your summers, I know that I will!**

 **All rights to Hiro Mashima.**

 **Chapter 7: Facing Nightmares, Stepping Forwards**

Lucy sighed, sagging against the wall outside the small hut in the middle of the woods, rubbing her temples. The man had known far more than she could have ever imagined. Apparently Farid had a penchant for gathering information about his fellow guild members and the ongoing business of his guild in order to stay one step ahead of the others and stay alive. Lucy hadn't cared about any of this as the man started to tell her his life story. She only cared about the information that he could give her.

"Lucy-nee?" Wendy asked quietly from just in front of her. "Are you feeling okay?"

Lucy dragged her gaze up, forcing her tired eyes to focus on the young woman hovering worriedly in front of her. She forced a small smile. "Just tired is all. That was a lot of information to take in. There's a lot of planning I'm going to have to do now."

Wendy's concerned gaze didn't waver. "Is there anything we can do for you?"

"Let's go back to the guild and get some sleep," Lucy suggested. "I think I'll feel right as rain after catching a few winks."

The Dragon Slayer nodded and darted off to where the two males stood on the edge of the clearing discussing something in hushed tones. Lucy wasn't in the mood to try and figure it out. She'd ask them later. The three came back and Lucy pushed off the wall, lurching slightly as her overtaxed body groaned with effort. Mest held his hands out to the others and they all linked hands. With a deep, steadying breath, they were blinked and were back in the guildhall.

"Thank you guys," Lucy rasped.

"It was our pleasure," Rogue assured her.

Wendy was at Lucy's elbow, supporting her to the bathing room. "You were using Libra's magic to ensure he was telling the truth the whole time, weren't you?" the young woman accused.

"And Virgo to take notes and recording the conversation," Lucy admitted. "It seemed easier than risking using a recording lacrima that anyone could access."

Wendy grumbled something. "You need to take better care of yourself, Lucy-nee," she scolded. "We are here for a reason, let us help a little more. You may be the master and our sworn, but that is all the more reason for you to rely on all of us a little bit more. We cannot betray you, nor would we want to."

"I know," Lucy sighed as she sank into one of the hot tubs. Wendy slipped in beside her, keeping a wary eye on the older woman. "But sometimes I forget that I can, you know? Sometimes I feel like I _have_ to do everything myself or I'll be letting down everyone who died for us, _for me_."

Wendy's eyes softened. "I understand," she said softly. "We'll work harder to remind you that we're here then." Her eyes were determined.

Lucy smiled. "I'd appreciate that," she whispered. "It would be a great help, I think."

"No problem, Lucy-nee," the younger woman smiled, settling into Lucy's side. "We've got your back. Just try to relax now. You've earned it."

Lucy sagged against the petite body nestled next to her in the warm water. "You do, don't you?" she murmured half asleep. "Just don't die on me."

Wendy shook her head, tears welling up in her own eyes. "Wouldn't dream of it," she choked out, seeing pink pigtails flash in her memories; heard that light giggle, that determined shout of defiance; saw those thin shoulders heaving; that small frame shuddering at the force of holding back magic so much greater than her own.

Lucy's arm tightened around Wendy's shoulder as the smaller woman choked back a sob, frame trembling at the sudden onslaught of memories. The water splashed as another person dropped gracelessly into the pool across from the two. Lucy glanced over to see the white hair and blue eyes of Lisanna Strauss. She gave the other a sad, exhausted smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.

"Rough day?" Lisanna asked, subdued, voice strangely hoarse.

"You could say that," Lucy responded. "How was your mission?"

"More difficult that we anticipated," Lisanna admitted. "The dark mage we were hunting managing to backtrack and ambush us at our camp. He had some kind of strange mind mage that showed us our worst nightmares and darkest memories."

Lucy grimaced. "I'm sorry, I didn't know that was what his powers were. I only knew that the others who'd gone after him weren't entirely sane when they were found."

Lisanna waved her off. "We managed. I'm just glad that you sent up because Macbeth eventually managed to get some kind of shield up and I squashed him. He's safely in custody, though I'm not sure how much I trust the Magic Council these days."

Lucy sighed heavily, leaning back. "I know, but we don't have the manpower or the space to house criminals right now. Besides turning them in proves to the Council how powerful we are _and_ we get the rewards."

Lisanna gave a small smile. "You always manage to find the silver lining in everything don't you." But despite her teasing tone, there was a shadow in her eyes.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Lucy asked.

Lisanna scooted around the edge of the pool so that she was nestled on Lucy's otherside. Wendy reached a hand across Lucy's abdomen and grabbed Lisanna's free hand, the other woman squeezed it gratefully. The three sat in silence until Lisanna had gathered the courage to speak.

"I saw Jenny a-and M-M-M-Mi-Mira-nee and E-E-Elf-nii," she finally managed choked out, a couple tears spilling from dull crystal eyes. The others said nothing, only provided the support and shelter she needed. "I k-know that i-it's been a y-year or something, bu-ut," the woman took a shuddering breath, "it doesn't get easier," she finished with a gush. "And reliving it like that?" Lisanna shook her head, voice catching again and more tears spilling out. "I couldn't, can't." There was shame and horror in her voice. "Macbeth had to do most of the work, even after he shielded me, but day was coming and his powers were starting to wane. Then the mage broke past the shields and I saw all of you dying in front of me and I couldn't hold it in."

Lisanna broke off as sobs escaped, her body trembling violently as she tried to keep herself under control, but failed. "I lost it," she admitted in a small voice. "Macbeth went from defending us to defending our quarry who had been long since knocked out. I only came back to myself when I was, I was, I was _crushing_ his _throat_."

Lucy squeezed the younger woman tightly, ignoring the water sloshing around them and their lack of clothing-towels only covered so much. "Did you stop?" Lucy asked then in a gentle voice. Lisanna managed a nod through her sobs. "Did Macbeth forgive you?" Again, a nod. "Did he seem frightened?" A pause, then a slow shake of the head. "Then everything's going to be okay," Lucy soothed. "Macbeth doesn't hate you, the criminal is still alive, you're alive, and your partner isn't scared of you."

Wendy spoke up. "Macbeth probably understands what happened to you better than most people," she said. "His magic is very large and very dark. It can be difficult to control power like that, especially after you first get it. I'm sure Macbeth understands what you went through in your visions inflicted by the dark mage and I'm sure he understands how the power raging under your skin gained control for a few minutes. He knows that you regret it and that you'll train harder than ever so that it won't ever happen again. In fact, I bet he'd love to help you learn to control the demons."

Lucy gave Wendy a grateful smile and a gentle pat on the head. "I'm sure what Wendy says it true."

Lisanna gave a blubbery thanks and continued to sob harder, shaking her head, arms pulling her guild members, her family members, closer.

"It's going to be okay," Lucy said firmly, embracing both women. "Everything will be okay and our heartbreak will heal given time. We just haven't given it enough time yet."

Indeed, she saw her own demons flying around even as she comforted the two younger mages. She saw the red hair over by the showers, the white hair lounging by the edge of the pool, a pair of fogged up glasses, two blue heads bent close in a rare moment of unity. Lucy's heart ached every day, but just then it was a sharp, persistent, stabbing pain. One that Lucy was familiar with and hated with all her being, but also one that brought with it the sense of guilt and acceptance and grief so thick she could choke on it. The others, sensing the shift in her mood, squeezed Lucy a little bit tighter right back. The three just sat there long into the night, providing comfort, shelter, and solidarity to each other who had lost a precious, irreplaceable family.

* * *

"NOOOO!" Lucy bolted upright, panting, tears streaming down her face.

A sunbeam singed her retinas as Lucy swam through her blankets to land on the cold, hard floor. Lucy sank to the wood in a puddle of sunlight. But the brightness did nothing to drive away the shadows still lingering in her heart. It had been a year and a half since the end of the war. It had been a _year and a half_. Lucy hissed in frustration, hands coming up to yank on her hair in attempt to lessen the pressure in her head. These goddamn nightmares were getting old. But they never failed to bring back the familiar, choking grief and guilt that had wracked Lucy since the first casualty of the war.

Angry with herself for falling back into the self-destructive pit of loathing, Lucy headed for her shower, hoping it would clear her head. Instead, Lucy found herself curled up at the bottom of the tub sobbing under the spray of her showerhead. Wavy blue hair and darker blue eyes swam in Lucy's vision. Pale skin stark against the dark surrounding her as she trapped Lucy in a Water Lock, to protect her this time, instead of kidnapping her. Lucy choked on her next gasp, inhaling some of the water and then she was there-

" _JUVIA!" Lucy screamed frantically, pounding on the wall of water separating her from one of her dearest friends. "LET ME OUT, JUVIA!"_

" _No, Love Rival," the woman panted, hands on her wobbling knees. "Juvia will not. She will protect Love Rival for Gray-sama."_

" _JUVIA!" Lucy screamed, ignoring the convoluted logic of the declaration; it was just Juvia. "I CAN HELP! DAMN IT! LET ME OUT! LET ME FIGHT!"_

" _NO!" Juvia's reply was a broken scream. "IF I LET YOU OUT, YOU WILL DIE! I WILL NOT LET LUCY DIE!"_

 _Lucy choked on her next breath, tears welling in her throat combined with some of the water from the Water Lock. Juvia's magic was starting to fade, the bubble keeping Lucy from drowning shrinking slightly._

" _Via," Lucy couldn't scream anymore. All she'd been doing for that few days had been just that, screaming as she watched her friends fighting to save her life, to end the war. "Via, let me out."_

" _N-no," Juvia had one knee on the ground now, blood dribbling from the corner of her mouth._

 _The man facing them watching with cool contempt. "I never imagined a weak little Fairy would last so long," he sneered. "Though I suppose I_ _ **have**_ _been going a little easy on you. I think it's time for you to die, Fairy."_

 _With a contemptuous flick of his hands, a spear of ice and snow formed, spinning in midair where it hovered just in front of him. With a cruel smile, the spear leapt forwards, punching straight through Juvia's side. There was a wheezing, disbelieving gasp from the water woman as she looked down at her side. Lucy was frozen in horror in the Water Lock. The man watched Juvia fall and then turned to face Lucy._

" _It's your turn little Fairy bitch," he smirked._

 _Another spear of ice and snow formed, but Lucy was done. She was done sitting on the side lines. She was done watching her friends get hurt. She was done having people die for her. She was done being useless. Rage filled Lucy like nothing she'd ever known before and her magic_ _ **exploded**_ _._

 _When Lucy came back to her senses, she rushed over to Juvia's prone form on the ground surrounded by a pool of blood. Lucy skidded to her knees at the woman's side._

" _J-J-Juvia," Lucy choked, shaking hands pressing fabric into the edges of the hole. "Oh, Juvia."_

" _L-L-Lucy," Juvia's voice was barely a whisper._

" _Via, thank god," Lucy's hands steadied. "You need to hold on, okay? I'm going to take you to the healers. I need you to be strong and hold on. Think about Gray, okay? He's going to be so happy to see you again."_

 _Juvia's pale fingers clutched Lucy's own with an ever-weakening grip. "L-l-love y-you," she choked, blood bubbling out of her mouth. More blood pumped out her wounds, soaking Lucy's hands._

" _I love you too, Via," Lucy said, her vision blurring with unshed tears. "But you can't talk like that right now. I need you to use your strength to hold on. Think about Gray. You love your Gray-sama right?"_

" _S-s-see on oth-ther s-s-si-ide," Juvia grit out, her pale face losing whatever colour it's originally held. "Y-y-you l-l-live. L-l-love. Y-y-yo-ou, F-F-Fa-air-ry Ta-a-ai-il. M-m-mu-us-st n-oo-ot d-di-ie."_

 _Lucy frame shook as she forced her hands to hold steady, thumb brushing over the back of Juvia's hand. "No, no, no, no," she gasped. "No, Via? Via? Juvia?! JUVIA! Come back! No! NO! You, you're Fairy Tail. You need to live too. How can it be Fairy Tail without everyone coming home? Juvia! Come back, I need you to hold on sweetie. Come on, JUVIA!"_

 _Lucy reached desperately, freeing her hands to start compressions on Juvia's still chest. Begging, pleading, sobbing, cursing, wishing, wishing, wishing that the woman would open her eyes, that she'd wake up. She couldn't be gone. Not another one. No one else. Please, no more, Lucy pleaded in her head as she completed another set of compressions. But there was no response. Juvia was gone. Juvia was dead. Dead, dead, dead. And it was all her fault, it was all her fault, all her fault-_

"LUCY!" There was Leo, soaking wet, kneeling beside her in the tub. The shower had been shut off and a towel draped over her body, hiding everything from view.

"L-leo," Lucy said, eyes wide. "I-it was J-J-ju-juvia."

"I know," he said. "I know."

And Lucy let her spirit cradle her close and let herself grieve for the loss of such an amazing sister. Because that's what Juvia had become, despite all their quarreling (mostly nonsense over Gray started by Juvia). Juvia was family. Juvia was a light. Juvia was innocent. Juvia didn't deserve to die. Juvia deserved a long, peaceful life with her Gray-sama.

Eventually, Lucy forced herself back together and managed to get to work.

* * *

"Everyone is assembled and waiting," Freed said, poking his head into Lucy's office.

Lucy glanced up from the sheets covering the top of her desk. "I'll be down shortly."  
Freed nodded and disappeared back into the hall. Lucy gathered the papers that she would need, stretched, and headed to the living room. It was finally time to tell Fairy Tail what she'd set in motion, what was going to happen next week. Some of the members might have gleaned an idea of what might be occurring, but Lucy was confident that she'd managed to keep the majority of her plans well under wraps.

Lucy paused in the entrance to the living room to take in the spectacle. It was just as it had been nearly a year and a half ago now, everyone gathered in their teams chattering and arguing like one big family. Her family. Tears welled once more, but Lucy suppressed them with vicious restraint. She'd cried enough already today, there was no need to shed and more tears yet today.

Silence was slow to dawn as Lucy took her place at the head of the room and got comfortable situated, ready for the long discussion and many arguments that she knew were going to come. Hell was going to be rained down on her today for not sharing these plans any earlier. Nasty, fiery hell if the look in Erik's eye was anything to go on.

"Thank you everyone for completing your missions in such a timely, destruction-minimized way," Lucy started. There were a few chuckles, but the look in Kagura's eyes said that she had better cut to the chase and soon. Guild meetings weren't called often, but when they were it was always serious, and Lucy was delaying, again.

"Despite all the good news, I'm afraid I have some not-so-great news. Firstly, I'd like to thank all the members for keeping anything they may have learned relating to this news silent. Second, I'd like you to keep all comments to yourself until I have finished my explanation."

There was silence as everyone conferred through eye contact. Then, as one, they nodded. Lucy took a deep breath and then resigned herself. Like ripping off a band-aid, she told herself.

"I'm attending a conference next week to discuss how to force the Magic Council to either mend its ways or disband while those of us at the meetings form a more effective Council to take over. In addition to this, one of the guild masters I've been working with closely is Serena, a master obsessed with destroying Fairy Tail by any means possible. In order to see her goal fulfilled, she has employed Kasmaan, a nasty dark guild that is currently working to resurrect Zeref. They are our ultimate enemy at the moment because they currently possess the technology to resurrect Zeref, though not the knowledge.

"Freed, that was what your team's mission was all about, preventing Kasmaan from getting their hands on the information they need in order to fulfill _their_ goal.

"Kasmaan is plotting to attack the conference, kill me, and call in the Rune Knights to have most of the other masters deposed, arrested, or punished thus bringing them under the Magic Council's control once and for all. The general theory is if the Master of Fairy Tail is killed then Fairy Tail will disband once and for all and any members left will fade into the edges of society, hiding from the rest of the world until the day they die."

There was utter silence in the common room as this information was chewed on, mulled over, and generally digested.

"Is that what all the information we learned from Farid is for?" Wendy asked tentatively.

Lucy nodded. "Yes, all that we've learned will help us a great deal in the long run. Right now Kasmaan is not really high on my priorities list. It will be years before they become a huge problem. Right now they are a small nuisance. And we aren't destroying them because they are controlling every other dark guild, keeping everything from being destroyed willy nilly as the light guilds rebuild their power."

"Makes sense," Macbeth grunted.

"Plus, if we can monitor the top dog in the underworld, then we should have a better idea of what is going on everywhere else," Erik added, leaning back in his chair. "I don't think that you should go to that conference."

Lucy barely refrained from rolling her eyes. She didn't know why he was insisting on arguing this. He knew as well as she that she _had_ to be there or none of this would work. As if his comment had been the metaphorical dynamite in the dam, the comments, complaints, and suggestions burst forth in a tidal wave of sound. Lucy reeled back in her chair in surprise, but steadied herself and began to filter through the noise, listening to the pieces that caught her ear, but mostly not doing anything to direct, answer or argue. None of the members noticed and continued on for most of the day to argue, plan, and discuss.

When night fell, the chatter finally died down as people's stomachs began to rumble with hunger. Lucy smiled and looked down at her page that was full of notes that she thought would be useful in planning the security of the event.

"Alright everyone," Lucy said. "Before we try to get some dinner, I'd like you all to know that we are leaving for the conference grounds the day after tomorrow in order to set up some precautionary safety measures before everyone else gets there. If we're lucky, we'll catch the Kasmaan mages before the conference starts and it'll be peaceful from there."

The guild members cheered in agreement and rushed off to find food, either in the kitchens or in town.

* * *

 **A/N: And that's a wrap. Sorry it took so long, and it'll probably be another month before the next chapter because I'm going backpacking! Enjoy your summer (or winter depending on where you live). Next chapter, the conference.**

 **Thank you for reading!  
Artistofthemind**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Here's the next chapter. I'll try to get another one up before school starts, but the end of my summer is usually really busy, so we'll see what happens. Warning: this year is going to be very hectic for me b/c college applications are a thing, but I'm going to do my best to keep posting chapters. I'll try to get on a more regular update schedule too, if I can...**

 **All rights to Hiro Mashima**

 **Chapter 8: Fierce Flames**

Lucy surveyed the clearing that Fairy Tail had set up camp in. Various tents dotted the area, with one large fire pit in the center marking the area for dining and cooking. Mages strolled about, collecting wood for a fire, arranging belongings, or seeking out others to talk to or aid. Currently, Lucy was perched on a branch of a tree directly over her own tent that contained no more than a bedroll made of Aries wool and a lamp. Lucy had no need of more than that in her tent. Not with Virgo to hold onto things for her in the Spirit World.

The branch swayed slightly as someone joined her. Lucy glanced over in time to see purple flames sparkle out of existence. Romeo settled himself more comfortably on the branch and looked down at everyone else with her. Lucy sat silently, waiting to see why the younger boy had chosen to join her. The two of them hadn't talked much privately. There was usually others with the two of them.

It took Romeo several minutes to work up the courage to say whatever it was that brought him up here, away from his teammates and Wendy. "I had a dream," he said abruptly. Lucy stifled a sarcastic comment. Erik was rubbing off on her (and not in a good way). "I-it was about," Romeo paused again. " _Him_ ," he finally choked out.

Oh. _Oh_. Suddenly, Lucy was very glad that she'd said nothing. "You mean Natsu," she said softly. Romeo flinched at the sound of his name. And just like that Lucy understood what was wrong. "Nothing is ever going to get better if you can't accept his gift and his death," Lucy said. "I know it is very difficult, but the people here," Lucy swept her hands out, encompassing the camp full of scurrying mages, "they are all hurting too. And they understand what you are going through; they are still going through it themselves. I will not pretend to understand what, exactly, you are going through, but rest assured, you are not going through it alone."

"I know," Romeo said. "C-can I just, tell you about my dream?"

Lucy gave him a soft, sad smile. "Of course you can."

Romeo nodded and took a moment to gather himself. "Okay," he said. "Okay."

"Try to use his name," Lucy urged softly when he'd been silent for a few minutes.

Romeo nodded and took one big, deep breath. "S-so, N-na-natsu," he choked on the last syllable, "came to me. It was the week after you'd all come back from Tenrou and N-Natsu-nii, he took me aside a-and he told me that it was _my_ job to protect the guild now. That _I_ was the fire dragon a-and that it meant I had to take care of my own.

"In my dream, I didn't know what he was talking about. I kept telling him, no, no, that's _your_ job Natsu-nii. B-b-but he just kept going. 'I'm happy that I was able to give my life for those I loved,' he said. 'I just wanted you to live. I wanted my golden one to live. I wanted you _all_ to _live_." Romeo stopped and scrubbed at his eyes furiously trying to staunch the flow of tears.

Lucy's own eyes are filling. His golden one. That was what he'd taken to calling her after the GMG debacle. Only in private though, only ever when it was just the two of them and Happy. His golden one. That's was he'd whispered lovingly against her mouth as he ran off to fight his brother, to kill his brother. Those had been his last words as he lay dying in her arms. She might move on, but he would always hold a piece of her heart and Erik understood that. He was the same, part of his heart had died with Kinana, but they were moving on together.

Romeo wasn't done though. "I didn't understand what he meant. Lucy-nee, he looked so peaceful. I didn't know what he was talking about. His death, he wasn't, no one," the boy choked on his own words.

But Lucy understood. She understood better than anyone could ever hope to. For she had been the one desperately trying to coax him to stay alive, desperately trying to keep his blood and his organs where they were supposed to be. _She_ had been the one.

 _My golden one._

"I know," Lucy whispered, pulling the boy into her body, hugging him close. Romeo buried his head into her shoulder, his frame shuddering with silent sobs.

"But he looked so peaceful," Romeo gasped. "And he was _happy_. Because we were alive and he'd, he'd, he'd saved his golden one."

Lucy nodded, eyes burning, lips pressed tight together. "Yes," she said. "He did."

"He told me lots of things, about being a dragon. And he said that you could help us all. That you knew everything there was to know about dragons and dragon slayers because he'd told you all and you'd researched and looked and looked to help him find Igneel."

"I did," Lucy choked out. "I do. I can. I will."

"Thank you," Romeo clung to her. "Thank you Lucy-nee. Thank you sworn one. Thank you. Thank you."

"You're welcome," Lucy said, staring off into the distance, sight blurred with unshed tears. "Now dry those tears. Put on a smile and go help Wendy. She looks a little lonely down there."

Romeo pulled back and looked over to where Lucy was pointing. Indeed, Wendy was sitting on a log, chin propped on her hands. "I will," he said bravely, wiping his face. "I will." And Lucy knew that he was not talking just to her.

As soon as the boy was out of the tree and loping across the clearing, Lucy rose to her feet. She climbed around to the back of the tree and, pulling out her whip, begin to fly through the forest to a spot far away where she could let the memories bubbling up swallow her.

Natsu. Natsu, Natsu, Natsu, Natsu. Her mind raced in circles around that one name, dredging up memories of days long passed, adventures long finished, of wounds long healed. When Lucy's trembling body could carry her no further, she collapsed onto the moss of the forest floor and began to weep, then sob.

"Natsu!" she cried. "NAtsu! NATSU!"

He was gone. Gone and never coming back. She'd never see his sakura hair, his infectious smile, his glittering eyes. Never, never, never, never. Lucy screamed and raged and the one moment of her life that she did not want to ever, ever, _ever_ relive swallowed her.

" _GET BACK LUCY!" he roared, sounding more and more like a dragon with every passing minute. His flames burned hotter and hotter, smothering the air, but never once burned Lucy even as they licked curiously against her skin._

" _NO!" Lucy back. "I WILL NOT LEAVE YOU!"_

" _YOU MUST!" he turned back to face her. Red scales painted his face, his eyes a red-gold with slitted pupils. His hands were turning into claws and scales climbing up his arms. Through the tears in his top, Lucy could see more scales dotting his torso._

" _NO," Lucy screamed, half sobbing. "I WON'T, I won't, I won't!"_

 _Natsu came back to her, and with heart-breaking gentleness that he never showed anyone but her, placed his forehead to hers. "Lucy, Lucy, Lucy," he breathed, tears shining in his eyes. "My beautiful star, my golden one. You can not be here. Not for this fight. I need all my strength, all of my attention focused on Zeref, or I will lose, and I will die."_

" _B-but Natsu," Lucy protested. "I can help, you know I can. I trained, I, I'm stronger now."_

" _I know," Natsu said. "You are fierce and beautiful and kind and stronger than anyone else. I know that. But Zeref is_ _ **mine**_ _. And I need to know that you are safe from his death magic. Please, Luce. I'm begging you."_

 _Lucy gazed into his draconic eyes. "Okay," she finally agreed. "But as soon as the fight is over, shoot a firework up into the sky and I will come running as fast as I can and then you will not leave my side."  
_ " _Okay," Natsu agreed. "I love you, my golden one."_

" _I love you, my fiery one," Lucy said._

 _And then carefully, aware of his elongated, razor sharp fangs and talons, Natsu kissed her. He pulled back and gave Lucy his smile he saved especially for her. One full of love and tender care._

" _Later Luce," he said._

" _Later Natsu," she replied._

 _He turned to meet Zeref. She turned to find someone else to help, or to beat. Neither of them looked back as they walked away._

 _It was hours before that firework lit up the sky. Lucy had been watching for it from where she was stuck behind the guild's lines, delegated to nurse detail with a guard tailing her to make sure she did not cast the spell. But when the small fire flower bloomed in the air, Lucy took off. There was yelling behind her, but something was wrong. The firework had wobbled it seemed. Footsteps pounded behind her, but Lucy ignored it._

 _She pulled out Taurus's key and activated his stardress, using the strength it gave her to boost her speed. Natsu was in trouble. Something was wrong. She needed to get there. She had to hurry. Hurry. Faster, faster, faster. Lucy pushed herself, bones creaking from the speed she demanded of her body._

 _She came barreling onto the scene of utter destruction, ignoring the annihilation around her, the utter lack of life. But those following her stopped dead at the show of Natsu's power, of Zeref's power. Lucy didn't need proof to know just how strong her partner was. She'd felt his flames, his soul. She knew the indomitable strength inside him. So what was wrong?_

 _There, on the ground Lucy spotted a splash of pink among the black ash. She skidded to her knees by his side, eyes widening._

" _Oh, Natsu," she breathed, horrified._

" _L-Luce," he choked, blood bubbling out of his mouth, breath rattling in his chest._

" _Don't speak," Lucy said as she surveyed his wounds. "Everything is going to be alright. Wendy is on her way. Just hold on Natsu. Hold on."_

 _His stomach was ripped open, a hand was keeping his organs in. From the sound of it, a lung had been punctured. There were bleeding gashes everywhere. His right leg was gone, the stump blackened to show he'd cauterized the wound himself. Blood was everywhere, his clothes charred and nearly gone._

" _Natsu," Lucy said again. She gently pulled him up, adding her own hand to help attempt to staunch the bleeding on his abdomen. His head fell against her shoulder, each shuddering, rasping breath flowing across her neck._

" _my golden one," he rasped in a faint voice, his other shaking hand coming up to rest over hers. "sc-carf y-yours, l-lo-ov-ve yo-u, m-m-my golden one."_

" _No," Lucy said, increasing the pressure and his grip slackened. "No, no, no, no no no no NAtsu. Come on. Wake up. Natsu. Come on. You gotta stay with me. Natsu!"_

 _But his breathing was becoming lighter and the beating of his heart slowing down._

" _WENDY!" Lucy screamed, looking around with wild eyes. "WENDY!"_

 _Natsu's frame rattled with each breath he drew. With a barely moving hands, his wrapped his fingers around her hands and squeezed so lightly if she wasn't paying such close attention to him, she wouldn't have noticed._

" _No!" Lucy was frantic. "Natsu, you gotta stay with me. Come on. You promised forever."_

" _n-ex-t," he choked out, more blood bubbling out of his mouth, "t-t-im-e."_

" _H-hey," Lucy said, tears streaming down her face and she gripped his hand tightly. "No, this time. Come on Natsu. You don't get to leave me alone, not after you brought me here. Who's gonna take care of the guild? Who's gonna rescue me when I get kidnapped?"_

 _But he didn't answer, more blood came out as a coughing fit shook his whole frame, nearly knocking his intestines out._

 _Lucy could barely see through her tears as she cradled him and knew that he was dying. "I love you Natsu," she said around the lump in her throat. "I've always loved you. I'll always love you. Maybe I'll love someone else someday too, but you'll always hold a piece of my heart. You did always joke that my heart was big enough for anyone I could find to stuff in it. But I always loved you the most, Natsu. Please, tell Igneel I said hi. And I promise, we'll have plenty of adventures in the next life too. I'll find you. I'll always find you. Just like I know you'll always be there to catch me when I fall. So don't worry. I'll take good care of Fairy Tail. I promise. I love you Natsu. Please. I love you."_

 _She was gasping her words now, through sobs. Natsu's whole frame shook as he drew in a breath, a faint smile barely curving the bloody corners of his mouth, and then relaxed as it flowed out of him and his heart slowed, and stopped beneath Lucy's blood soaked fingers._

" _NOO!" Lucy screamed as her world shattered. "NATSU! NO! COME ON! I LOVE YOU! YOU CAN'T LEAVE ME! NOO! NATSU!"_

 _There were choked gasps, a few cries, and sobbing from behind Lucy, from the audience she'd forgotten she had. But Lucy clung to Natsu, screaming for him to come back to her, not to leave her alone, not like everyone else. She was oblivious as they finally pried Natsu's cold body (but he was never cold, never ever ever, something was wrong, he was gone) from her arms. She remained catatonic as they carried her back to base and as they washed the blood from her body and dressed her in different, clean clothes._

 _Lucy finally rose from her trance as a plate of food was set in front of her. Her mouth was set, her decision made. The world was so cold without him. Lucy did not want a Fairy Tail without her dragon slayer. So she waited, and when there was finally an opportunity, she slipped away. The war was still raging around them, despite Zeref's death. Perhaps made even worse by it._

 _Lucy did not want anymore death. She did not want any more tears or fighting or screaming or pain. She wanted it all to go away. She wanted it all to end. Even more, she wanted her friends, her family, to live on and become happy and find their futures like they deserved._

 _So Lucy found a secluded spot and began to gather her magic, delving into a meditative state in order to gather the necessary magic power for the spell. In her trance state, she didn't notice the gold glow that began to surround her, causing the plant life around her to spring up in response. Animals began to creep from the undercover, drawn by Lucy's magic so full of safety and life and hope._

 _As Lucy gathered more and more magic, it spread out. The forest around Lucy slowly pulled itself back to life, more animals emerging, settling in a circle around Lucy, watching as flowers grew around her, winding around her ankles. Slowly, Lucy's eyes fluttered open. They shone a brilliant gold, a complicated magic circle inscribed on each orb._

 _Just as Lucy's mouth opened to begin spilling the first words just as someone flashed behind her and with a quick blow to the back of her head, she was out, the magic dissipating._

Lucy choked on her own sobs as she was violently thrown back to the present. Lisanna was kneeling on the ground next to her, shaking her shoulder lightly. Lucy blinked up at him as she slowly sat up. Tears kept streaming from her eyes. Lisanna gave Lucy a watery smile.

"I take it you had another chat with someone?" the animal take-over mage asked kindly. Lucy nodded mutely. "I don't know how you take it all without your heart shattering," the younger girl sighed.

Lucy shrugged. "My heart has already been shatter. What difference will it make, smashing a few of the bigger pieces that are left? I can reforge a new stronger heart. I don't mind giving pieces of myself in order to help the rest of my family heal and grow. Besides, who else would Romeo have talked to?"

Lisanna just shook her head. "This is why you're our foresworn. That and you've proved that you're smarter than Levy and Freed. You know how to think big picture, you politics, and you know how to get things done."

Lucy smiled tiredly, brushing away her tears and drying her eyes. "Thanks Lis. How long have I been out here?"

"Long enough for us to worry and for me to come find you," Lisanna said. "You should really stop this bad habit of running away to grieve by yourself. Oh, I've heard all about those visits to the grave. I don't think you realize how much your guild loves you."

Lucy chuckled. "I do keep underestimating you all, don't I?"

"No, you keep trying to protect all of us," Lisanna corrected gently. "You know that we're plenty strong. Maybe you even overestimate that strength a bit, but not underestimate. No. You have too much faith in us for that."

Lucy just sighed and stood, stretching. "Well, I'll have to fix that terrible habit of mine then, won't I?"

Lisanna accepted her hand. "Who, you? Stop protecting the guild? No way. That'd be like Macbeth stopping napping, or Erik suddenly despising snakes. Totally impossible. Don't worry, we'll just get better at boxing you in."

Lucy laughed at that. "I'm sure you all will."

Lisanna giggled. "Do you want a ride back?" she asked slyly. "I've got this sweet new form."

"Why not," Lucy said gamely.

Lisanna transformed into wyvern complete with a little saddle on her back. Lucy snorted and swung up when Lisanna lowered herself invitingly. The animal take-over mage sprang into the sky and shot towards the heavens. They flew around for a bit, until Lucy managed to push her grief out of her mind and embrace a happier mindset. They landed in the middle of camp to shouts of surprise and warning.

Lucy slid off Lisanna's back, gesturing her guild mates to back down to their confusion. Lisanna transformed back into her human form with a grin.

"Sweet!" Meredy exclaimed, bounding forwards. "You have wyvern now!"

Lisanna smirked. "Macbeth helped me keep him subdued while I took em over."

"That's so cool!" Meredy said enthusiastically. "You're so powerful now!"

"I know," Lisanna said smugly. "I've got some pretty cool forms now that Mira-nee and Elf-nii gave me their souls so that the beasts and demons didn't escape back into the world. I'm getting them all under control now."

"That's amazing," Cana put in, coming up to sling an arm over the woman's shoulder. "We should celebrate!"

"Party!" others cheered.

"Not now guys," Lucy sighed exasperated. "We have to finish the conference first. Then we can really party."

"YES!" Everyone cheered.

"So hop to it!" Lucy ordered.

"AYE SIR!" they chorused cheerily and back to work Fairy Tail went.

Lucy just shook her head fondly. The members might change. They might have more serious members, but Fairy Tail would always love a good party and look for any reason to throw one. Lucy just hoped that the members could loosen up more and learn to let loose with the best of them. She deliberately pushed away the memories of Fairy Tail's final party, hurrying to catch Freed, Kagura, and Gajeel to go over security and battle plans.

* * *

 **A/N: Alright, so maybe I didn't quite get to where I wanted to, but I couldn't resist. I'm sorry for the lack of plot in this chapter. I promise the next one will be more plot advancement.**

 **I also apologize for Natsu's death. I was crying so much I could barely type the scene, it was so bad, but a necessary evil. I send you all healing waves for the heartbreak I caused.**

 **I might change their guild mark later on, to that Guest's wonderful suggestion. I just couldn't make myself kill everyone and then erase the guild marks. Like that's such a huge part of who they are right now and how they're trying to heal, you know? Also I just couldn't think of what to change it to honestly.**

 **Thank you for reading!**

 **Artistofthemind**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Here's the next chapter. Before that I'd like to take this moment to recommend my favourite trilogy ever:** _ **The All Souls Trilogy**_ **by Deborah Harkness because they are absolutely fabulous and everyone of you should go buy them and read them immediately. Apologies for any grammar mistakes, I have no beta.**

 **All rights to Hiro Mashima**

 **Chapter 9: Finally, the Conf(ront)ence**

Lucy did her duty as the organizer and initiator of the events and greeted the guild masters as they arrived, directing them to the proper places. Kagura was the one who accompanied her having been to a few similar meetings herself in place of her guild master. Serena had not arrived yet, which was good because they were still working on laying the perfect trap for her and the Kasamaan members who would no doubt be shadowing the traitorous woman.

" _The runes are done,_ " Freed's voice echoed eerily inside her head.

It was a trick they had discovered on a random mission hunting down a pack of savage wyverns. They could communicate mentally with Lucy by sending magic through the link. In turn, Lucy could send messages back to them through her personal link with each of them.

" _Gajeel, how far out are you?_ " Lucy asked because they had learned that Farhid had been ordered to trail Serena to the meeting place to make sure she stuck to her word.

" _Not that far, maybe ten minutes_ ," he said. " _You were right, there are others trailing her, but at a distance and I'm not going to risk giving myself away by trying to track them down._ "

" _Good,_ " Lucy replied. " _Keep me posted on your progress. I need to know when the building is in sight._ "

Gajeel grunted his assent and Lucy cut their connection. " _You have ten minutes to finish up_ ," she sent to everyone. " _There are others coming. Try to obtrusively take out as many as you can before they reach the hall._ "

" _Aye sir!"_ she got in response.

Kagura melted into the shadows and went to monitor the perimeter of the building. Meanwhile, more guild masters showed up, a few bringing unannounced guests with them that had Lucy scrambling for ideas of where to house them. There were simply too many people here. Though it was heartening to see how many guilds disapproved of the Magic Council's ways. It was always nice to know that you had allies in a battle.

" _Here_ ," Gajeel said shortly. Lucy relayed that to everyone, though she had no doubt that there wasn't a single guild member who didn't already know that.

" _The meeting will start as soon as Serena enters that building. She is the last master to arrive,_ " Lucy informed the others. " _Stop any others and question them thoroughly before letting them enter the building or even get close. We can't risk this falling apart._ "

" _Aye sir!_ " Fairy Tail said, more solemnly than the original members might have been, but no less enthusiastically.

Lucy turned her attentions to the gathered guild masters before her, smiling and nodding to Serena, despite her face being hidden by a hood, when the older mage entered in the back with a smile of apology gracing her lips, but not quite reaching her eyes, which sparkled with malice.

"I am so very happy to see how many allies I have in this endeavour," Lucy began, surveying the crowd. "And I appreciate you all taking your time to come out here. I know it's not the easiest place to find." Some chuckles. "But I know I speak for all when I say we are very glad that you found your way here. Now, just to make sure you are all aware, we will be discussing ways to get the Magic Council to comply with our demands, what those demands our, what we will do to ensure they follow through with those demands, and how to make sure the changes we implement are permanent ones. And, of course, what we will do if the Magic Council does not agree to change."

There were some cheers from the crowd. Lucy smiled and gesturing for silence. "But before any of that fun stuff, I have an announcement to make about sleeping arrangements. Unfortunately, there are too many of us to fit inside this hall to sleep, therefore a group of the younger guild masters and myself will be sleeping outside. Now let's get down to business."

There some groans at her announcement, but no one seemed to put out by the the prospect of spending a night under the stars. Lucy grinned to herself as she thought of some of the places she'd been forced to camp because of her team. Places where they often did not have tent, not matter what the weather was like. But she slipped back to the present in order to catch the tail end of a question and once more threw herself into her work.

True, Fairy Tail was trying to catch Kasamaan, but the conference was not just some big operation in order to do that. It was truly an ideal that Lucy and her guild members supported and were trying to get behind in order to make to world safer and more enjoyable for both mages and non mages alike. So she put her trust in her people and conducted the meeting with a demeanor that would have made her father and her tutors very, very proud.

Out in the woods, Gajeel crouched in the shadows near the window that Kasamaan was supposed to use to enter the building. Romeo and Meredy waited in the trees far above his head, ready to pounce at a moment's notice. Further in the forest, spread in a circle around the building, were the other members of Fairy Tail, all awaiting their uninvited guests.

" _I'm on my way to the trap,"_ Lucy broadcasted over their link. " _Stay on your toes_."

Gajeel heard nothing else, but he sent an impression of recognition so that she'd know he was listening. Ten yards to his left a bush rustled slightly. Gajeel went on alert, scenting the air to find the opponents. He could smell five mages crouched in the brush near the window Lucy would soon be appearing in. He snorted silently. Kasamaan was dumber than he thought if they only sent five members to retrieve the master of Fairy Tail. Gajeel trilled his team's signal to let Romeo and Meredy what he'd found.

" _Fairy entering the nest,_ " Lucy broadcasted. " _Here we go guys._ "

Gajeel sprang from his hiding place and had two of the rushing enemy mages down before they realized what was happening. The other three skidded to a halt at his appearance. They stood frozen in shock as Gajeel shed his Kasamaan robes to reveal his iron scales.

"Hey fuckers," he grinned, exposing his elongated fangs. "Ready to die?"

The three said nothing, their eyes narrowing beneath their hoods. Shadows started to writhe around one of the figures. Another began to emit a cold air. The third unsheathed twin swords with a faint rasp of metal on leather. Gajeel sneered at them and crooked his finger.

The one with the swords sprang forward, swords swinging in a blur. The shadowed figure went sideways and disappeared. The one emitting cold air hung back, gathering magic. Gajeel blocked the swords with an arm and snarled in the attacker's face as he continued his sudden movement and punched them in the stomach. The swordsman went flying back, out of the tangle of men. He slammed against a tree and stayed there as multiple daggers went flying and pinned him there.

Gajeel turned to concentrate on the other mage, only to get slammed in the face by a fist covered in shadows. He caught himself, and snapped a leg up to kick the unsuspecting attacker in the gut. The shadow mage slid back, and fell to his knees, coughing blood. There was a tightening in the atmosphere as the ice mage Gajeel had forgotten about in his tangle with the others released his spell. Gajeel braced himself but the hit never came.

Flames flared up in the clearing, eviscerating any ice. Romeo crouched in front of him. Meredy flitted around the edges of the clearing, incapacitating the rest of the men. Gajeel backed up to let the younger slayer fight. It was time the boy got to try out his new magic against an enemy ice mage. Lyon just couldn't get into it with the boy enough for him to get real practice. A maniacal grin spreads across the boy's face as he, too, realizes he can finally go all out against someone without worrying about the damage he might cause while doing so.

Gajeel steps back to join Meredy in the shadows at the edge of the clearing as they watch their younger teammate battle the quickly-losing ice mage. The two of them cackle when they catch the fear growing in the eyes of the dark mage as he realizes this boy outclasses him by so, so much. And soon enough, Romeo is standing triumphantly over the scorched and twitching body of a Kasamaan member.

"Great work kid," Gajeel says, ruffling the boy's hair. Meredy flashes him a grin and a thumbs-up. "We should go see if they need help anywhere else."

"I'll stay here to guard the area," Meredy says. "I'll link you guys if there's any trouble here."

"Alright," the other two agree. They split up, Romeo going around to the front entrance, and Gajeel heading to the back.

Gajeel stumbled upon Macbeth and Lisanna beating up on their own group of Kasamaan mages, but the two didn't seem to need any help. Frosh was flying over them giving some sort of running commentary that appeared to be helping Lisanna and Macbeth coordinate, or something. Gajeel wasn't really sure, but the two (three?) of them were handling their fight just find. He kept going, slipping through the shadows.

Erik, Freed, and Carla were the next group of fighters he ran into, and immediately ran from. The three of them looked positively demonic as they delivered a massive beat down to the seven mages they faced. Freed appeared to being using runes that protected all of them from Erik's poison, and Carla's focused telekinetic powers were allowing heher to direct the two men like a well-oiled machine. Of course, she was dealing out her fair share of attacks, but the two men really had things under control.

Wendy was kicking ass while Mest stood to the side, Direct Lining fleeing mages back into the middle of the skirmish. Cana and Lily had figured out how to combine her magic with his melee fighting with some rather...freakish results. Whatever, Gajeel kept going. He froze suddenly, hovering in the shadows. There was someone else moving through his element. Not as fully he was, but definitely doing some shadow walking. Their magic power was bigger than any of the small fry. Gajeel bared his teeth in a fearsome mimicry of a grin. Finally, some worthy prey.

He slipped through the shadows to pop out next to the man next time he stepped through the shadows.

"Man," Gajeel groaned, stretching his back so it cracked loudly. "Shadow-travel sure makes you stiff, huh?"

The man jumped in shock and glanced over at Gajeel. He relaxed slightly at the sight of the robes Gajeel had put back on. "I didn't know Master was sending another shadow-dweller on this mission."

Gajeel shrugged. "Well, you know how Master is," he said vaguely. "Always changing his mind." It was fifty-fifty shot to assume the gender of the Master, but usually the big guns of the dark guilds were men.

"I do, unfortunately," the man relaxed a little more.

"So, are we going straight for the Fairy Boss?" Gajeel sneered the title, pulling on his experience as a double agent to give him the right derision.

"I think we will," the other man licked his lips. "I heard she's rather...feisty. I'm looking forwards to experiencing that for myself, if you know what I mean."

Gajeel cringing at the undertone, but replied in kind. "I'm hopin' fer a chance to ride 'er before Master does anythin' too...permanent." Even as he said it, Gajeel's inner dragon roared at the threat to its Queen and Kin. It was a fight to keep the growls contained.

"Let's go," the man hissed, stepping for the next shadow. Gajeel followed.

Inside the shadows, he seized the collar of the other man and yanked him further into the shadows than he'd ever been, presumably. The dark mage squawked indignantly, but didn't struggle too much.

"How deep in the shadows are you planning on going?" the man said furiously. "If you go much further, we won't be able to get out."

Gajeel stopped his movement and turned to grin at the other man. "I dunno about you," he smirked. "But I'm jus' fine cruisin' wherever I wanna go in the shadows. But I'm thinkin' I'll jus' leave you here and solve a whole buncha problems for Master."

"Problems?" the man paled. "But I haven't had any transgressions for a couple years now! There's no need to leave me here! I'll be good! I promise!"

Gajeel's grin twisted into something far more sinister and threatening. "Now, see here. You goin' after my Master is a transgression enough for me ta beat the snot outta ya. Instead I'm givin' ya a fightin' chance. Maybe you'll figure a way outta these shadows, and maybe I'll pull you out when I'm doing cleanin' up the mess out there."

"Y-you're master?" the man stammered. "But aren't you from Kasamaan? Aren't you one of our shadow-dwellers, the assassins of the guild trained to walk through the shadows in order to attack even the most difficult of targets?"

"No man," Gajeel snorted. "I'm the Iron-Shadow Dragon of Fairy Tail, and I'm your doom."

Faint screams could be heard on the surface, and when Gajeel popped out of the shadows ten minutes later, Fairy Tail had taken down all the Kasamaan members who'd shown up. They were unconscious, tied up, and ready for questioning. Lucy headed back out to finish the meeting, the rest of the guild masters none the wiser about the commotion thanks to Freed's runes. Serena was being held as well, with Gemini assuming her identity for the rest of the meeting.

That night around Fairy Tail's fire pit, Lucy relaxed with her fellow guild members, surveying their bruised captives with satisfaction. "That could have gone much worse," she said.

The others nodded their agreements, savouring the soup Gajeel had made for dinner that night. "I certainly had some fun," the Iron-Shadow slayer grunted.

Lucy grinned at him. "I'm sure you did, terrifying that poor mage. He'll spill his guts now, wondering who on earth could be 'controlling' such a terrifying creature."

The others laughed as Gajeel playfully bared his teeth at the celestial mage and mock growled. "Yer not all tha' Bunny girl," he growled. "Why don' you come 'ere and back up those claims o' controlin' me?"

Lucy shook her head. "I'm good thanks. I've had enough wrestling for the evening. Besides I'm not sure you could handle all this." She motioned to her body. The rest of the guild snickered at Gajeel, and thus another brawl began, this time with Lucy in the middle, cheerfully trading blows with her guild members. The onlooking Kasamaan captives shivered in fear at the sight and wondered how their guild had ever contrived to stand up to such a group.

* * *

 **A/N: I know it's been a while, but hey! Here you go! Some fighting! And good ole Gajeel and Lucy bantering(ish, those scenes are so hard to write!). I hope you enjoyed!**

 **Thank you for reading!  
Artistofthemind**


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